The Matrix:Rebirth
by Klutz
Summary: What if mutants were another glitch in the Matrix? And what happens when the resident phaser has a destiny to be the one to find the mutant that is more mutant than the rest? Let's see how far this rabbit hole goes...
1. Upload One

Well, here it is: the plotbunny I got while watching _The Matrix Reloaded_. Strap yourselves in, 'cause this looks like it's gonna take awhile…   
  
  


Disclaimer: Xmen Evolution belongs to Warner/Marvel, and the Matrix series belongs to the Wachowski Brothers/ Warner Bros. They don't belong to me. Well, Eryn and Matt do, along with other minor OC's that occur. Here's the beginning of chapter one. I'm a review junkie, so replies are much appreciated.   
  
  


Key   
*this* is emphasis   
this is psychic convo   
_this_ is dreams/thoughts/journals/ship names   
  
Now that that's all done, Onward! ^.^   
  
  
  


The Matrix: Rebirth – Upload One

  
  
"Bring her down three more sects, Spyke," Forge said from his seat, watching the monitors. "And be careful – the _Firebird_ is not a toy. Wolverine will kill you if you wreck this ship."   
  
Spyke snorted in bemusement. "Loosen up, Fixit – I know what I'm doing." He sat up straighter in his seat. "I *did* train for this, you know-"   
  
"Here we go," Forge muttered under his breath while adjusting the monitors.   
  
" – So I know *exactly* what I'm doing. Unlike Boom Boom, who still isn't allowed on a crew." Spyke huffed, bringing the ship down as ordered.   
  
"How are we doing, guys?" came Cyclops's voice over the headset. Forge looked over at the other male's body, where it was in the chair, plugged into the Matrix like the rest of the crew, where Jubilee was keeping an eye on their stats.   
  
"Word from Tank and the _Nebuchadnezzar_ – they've picked up who they were after – a hacker named Neo." Forge sat back in his chair. "We're just waiting for you – how's it going?"   
  
Wolverine's gruff voice came over the comm. "Time to get out, Fixit – we have someone to pick up."   
  
"Mutant or human?" Spyke asked, excitement coloring his voice.   
  
"Mutant."   
  
Forge grinned as Spyke and Jubilee did a victory dance. "Aye, Captain."   
  
  
*************   
  
  


--Six months later— 

  
  
_Dreams. In them, exist memories and hopes warped by the subconscious because the brain slows down to "recharge" as it were. __  
  
Now that I know the truth, I abhor that term. "Recharge." Like we were batteries or machines that serve no other purpose but for energy._   
  
_Which is the truth. That is what I – no_, we – _were. Before I was unplugged. Before I was freed. Now, as part of the crew of the _Firebird _I fight to free other mutants and humans from that aberration, the Matrix_.   
  
_Our world was nothing but a lie. But I'm still amazed that mutants exist outside of the Matrix – us that were in it are only here because of a glitch in the system, an anomaly – not like Neo, who is the One, THE Anomaly. Mutants who were in simply had mutated DNA from a glitch or from whoever "donated" DNA to create us_.   
  
_We are nothing but accidents. And as I fall into dreams, I can't help but wonder why. Why the war? Why all of this? Why are we made to suffer?_   
  
  
  
_In my dream, it is the same one I've had since I was freed by the crew of the_ Firebird _six months ago – memories, then a glimpse of the future. Of what possibly could be_.   
  
_It is my eighteenth birthday, all happiness and smiles. I remember my parents, the presents, and my friends. And then I remember the one person that makes me hurt the most, because as I see him, I know he doesn't remember me. He can't. Once we are unplugged, the ones left behind don't remember us. He was – no, he is – my best friend. I love him, because not doing so was like not breathing_.   
  
_Kurt is my best friend, and what hurt most was that I had to leave him behind. Despite all I've endured these past few months, some things still stayed with me, and have gotten me through all of this_.   
  
_His devil-may-care grin. __  
  
That mischievous glint he gets in his eyes when he's about to pull a prank.   
  
How tight he would hug me when I was upset about my mutantcy – He was a mutant also, so he understood, even if his power hurt more than mine did. [1]   
  
How he would get sunburned on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose when he was out in the sun for too long because his skin was so pale, and it used to make me laugh because he always looked younger than he really was.   
  
How he used to call me "Katzchen."   
  
Or how we used to fall asleep in the hammock in my parent's backyard while talking and looking at the constellations.   
  
However, on my birthday, my world turned upside down. The authorities found out I was a mutant, and then agents came. Of course, I didn't know who the agents were, just that the well-dressed men who tried to grab me were bad and had no benevolent intent to my person.   
I remember exactly what happened with utter clarity, because this day was burned into my soul with all the precision of a laser. I was crossing the street, hurrying because Marie had wanted me to meet her and I was late. A car, speeding down the blacktop, failed to see me and by the time the driver tried to stop, it was too late.   
  
I saw the car, sheer feet from me.   
  
I saw the look of panic on the driver's face, knowing he couldn't stop in time.   
  
I braced myself for the hit, and was surprised when nothing came. Looking up and seeing the shock on the faces of the people surrounding me, I realized what had happened. I had used my mutant power unconsciously in fear, 'phasing' to save myself. It happened sometimes – when I had nightmares, I was known to phase through my bed to the first floor of my house. That is my power – my 'gift'. I am able to space the atoms in my body to fit through the atoms of other things, thereby becoming a 'living ghost.'_   
  
_However, mutants were not as appreciated inside as they are in Zion. I saw them come – the well dressed men, watching in shock as passersby *turned* into them, and they stormed towards me, faces set and emotionless._   
  
_I did the only thing I could_.   
  
_I ran. I ran as fast and far as I could, keeping to the deserted back alleys, until I came to a street and was stopped by two cars that pulled in front of me._   
  
_A man, stocky, slightly hairy, and gruff, with stern brown eyes, leaned out of the window from behind the wheel_.   
  
_"Get in."_   
  
_His tone booked no argument_.   
  
_That was when I met them. My crewmates. The beautiful Phoenix, the first child-mutant to be freed and the one the_ Firebird _was named after. The ever-vigilant Cyclops. Captain Wolverine, the gruff leader of the crew, the one who had spoken to me. The beautiful Storm, with her dark cocoa colored skin, white hair, and blue eyes. The enigmatic Lightwing, whose grey eyes could pierce into your soul. They saved me, gave me an opportunity to learn the truth and to be free from something I had always sensed deep down was wrong, somehow._   
  
_My world_.   
  
_And by God, I took that chance. Because I *wanted* to know. __  
  
Waking up was like a dream in and of itself. The fetal pod was slimy and fetid, my skin searing with excruciating pain as all of the wires disengaged themselves, my nerves feeling like they were on fire, feeling as if I was being stabbed over and over again. Pulling that *thing* from my mouth, my senses filling with the smell of rot and fester. The pod opening and seeing that machine with it's metal tentacles and devil-red mechanical eyes. The pod opening beneath me and racing down a tube, having no control over my own body, because my muscles and voice refused to cooperate with my mind. Nearly blind and unable to see, I was plunged into freezing water, unable to swim, and drowning. Even though my eyesight was nearly nonexistent, I remember the light above me like a supernova, as the ship hovered above my drowning form.   
  
The crew picked me up and saved my life.   
  
Sometimes I wished that they had left me there. In the Matrix. Because then I'd be with him. Then again, I'd probably be dead. The agents certainly don't waste time, that much I have learned.   
  
I remember months of adaptation, conditioning my body and senses, learning skills I needed to be on the crew. I remember my first look at Zion, and I remember rescuing my friend Marie – now called Rogue – and finding out that Kurt had gone missing soon after I had 'disappeared' – she told me when she had regained her memory of me, which took several days.   
  
I also remember my first visit to the Oracle, and her words invade my dreams often, probably because I don't understand them. I had gone after the knowledge that Neo was the One was announced – not everyone believes it, but us mutants do.   
  
Because we have to believe in something._   
  
~*~   
  
"Come, here child."   
  
Kitty – now called Shadowcat – obeyed, a bit awed by the rumors and reputation this woman carried. She Knew the future, and could see into your soul deeper than Lightwing could. She sat next to the elderly black woman, ready to hear her words.   
  
"You have wondered all of your life what your purpose is. Not the 'what' but the 'why'."   
  
It was not a question, even if she didn't answer it.   
  
"You search for him. It pained you – to leave him behind." She looked seemingly straight through her. "Do not let it. You know the outcome in your soul." The Oracle looked out of the window again. "You have come for a message – for a prophecy."   
  
She smiled.   
  
"Man as a demon, the heart of an angel, the soul of a Guardian. It is him you will find. More mutant than the rest, he is invaluable."   
  
Shadowcat couldn't help but smile. "I didn't know you were this straightforward. Neo said you were a bit roundabout in your messages."   
  
"Only to him. He's a smart boy – he needs to think. Exercise his brain. To figure everything out for everyone's sake." She touched the young woman's chin gently, smiling. "Mutants – all of you are so special. Perhaps not like Neo, but special nonetheless." Her hand dropped. "You will not see me again."   
  
  
~*~   
  
_My dream always shifts then. Flashes of the inside of a business building, of agents, of a fight and blood on the floor. Of bullets ricocheting in the corridor and shattering glass. Of running, separated from my crewmates except Rogue, both of us pounding down the corridor. __  
  
It gives me hope that I see, hear, and smell the distinctive implosion of air that accompanied one of Kurt's teleports.   
  
I remember other flashes. The ship. The water. A shard of the future that showed me the face of a boy who looked like a demon, covered in fine blue fur.   
  
Then I always wake up.   
  
Like now._

  
  
****************   
  


  
Kitty jolted awake, breathing hard, tear tracks on her face. The room in Zion that she shared with Jubilee and Rogue was quiet, both of her roommates sleeping deeply, neither apparently disturbed by nightmares or the lack of background noise.   
  
Sitting up, she tiredly ran a hand through her short and slightly spiky chestnut hair, grimacing as she touched the metal fixture at the base of her skull, a reminder of reality. Forcing herself to be silent so she didn't wake her roommates, she quietly exited the room, shutting the metal door gently and walking to the rail to look down on the city, blue eyes weary. In the early morning, Zion was just waking up, people hoping that loved ones returned on the ships, lights on and dotting the dark like stars. Making a decision, she started to walk toward the Temple, padding quietly on bare feet.   
  
There was no one in the corridors, a fact for which she was grateful.   
  
"Can't sleep?"   
  
Well, almost no one. She turned and looked at Eryn – called Lightwing - who was sitting against the wall holding the mutant child her and Matt – known as Soulspark or just 'Spark – had adopted when the boy's parents had been killed. He was about two years old, with silver hair, blue eyes that had no pupil or iris, and small dog-ears that peeked out of his hair on top of his head. Lightwing, as a joke, had called him Inu-chan (apparently while in the Matrix, she had been a big anime fan) and the nickname had stuck. Inu didn't answer to anything else. Right now the boy was sleeping, curled up in the other woman's arms.   
  
Kitty shook her head. No one could lie to the Empath – she'd sense it immediately. "Dreams. You?"   
  
The raven-haired woman smiled. "Inu had a stomachache. Apparently Spyke had given him too many sweets when he and Wolfsbane were watching him during Temple." She kissed the boy atop his head. "Poor kid – food had never made him sick before."   
  
Kitty smirked, then grew grim. "We're setting out today, aren't we?"   
  
She nodded, not looking at the other woman. "We have to find him. Or rather," she looked pointedly at Kitty, "you do."   
  
Kitty sighed. "Are things that bad?"   
  
"Well they aren't getting better." The woman stood, cradling the child, who snuggled in her arms, making somnolent noises. "Walk with me?"   
  
She smiled and nodded. "Well, I'm not going to sleep anytime soon."   
  
Eryn smiled as she and Kitty made their way through the city, watching the people rise to face another day in their world. All too soon they would have to return and pack for their mission, but right now, Kitty reveled in the solace of the sleeping city, her crewmate, and the peace of the sleeping child.   
  
  


~~~~~~~~ 

  
  
"Rogue! Jubilee! 'Cat! Guesswhatguesswhat?!"   
  
Kitty sighed, shoving her second set of clothes into her duffel, before turning to face the speedster, who was jumping up and down excitedly in their doorway despite his bag, his distinctly European face alight with glee, silver hair awry. Inu, sitting on her bunk, looked up from where he was playing with the small bundle of twine Kitty had managed to trade for several months ago, to blink owlishly at Quicksilver.   
  
Jubilee, her face perfectly serious, managed, "The fifth dentist caved and now they're all recommending Trident?" [2] Lips twitching, she shoved her pillow into her own pack before bending to tie her bootlace.   
  
Rogue grinned at him, propping a fist on her hip. "What is it, sugar? What's got your knickers in a twist?"   
  
"The _Fraternity_ is doubling up with you for this mission," he answered, deliberately talking slowly so he could be understood, even if he still bounced from foot-to-foot in pent up energy. "Lock wants Mystique and Wolverine to team up."   
  
Kitty looked at Pietro curiously. "Why?" Snatching the twine from Inu, but tweaking his ear gently to show she wasn't being mean, she shoved it in her pack. The canine mutant grabbed onto his moppet instead.   
  
He shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't trust either of them to do this mission right on their own ifyouknowwhatImean."   
  
Kitty's nose wrinkled. She did. Lock's dislike for the mutant captains was almost as notorious as his dislike for Morpheus. If Councilors Xavier and Magneto were not Elders, Lock would have made sure that Mystique and Wolverine were not captains at all.   
  
"So y'all are going with us?" Rogue asked.   
  
Pietro nodded, and Kitty groaned as Jubilee snickered. _I *do not* want to deal with Avalanche again..._ The elder teenager's slight crush for the phaser happened to be the worst kept secret between the mutant ships.   
  
Pietro grinned. "Don'tworry'Cat...I think he's got a crush on BoomBoom now. OrmaybeMagma."   
  
"Hooray," she answered, deadpan, hefting her duffel to hang across her shoulders before picking up Inu. "Let's go. If we're late, Wolverine *and* Mystique are going to have our guts for garters."   
  
"Yeah, let's hurry or she'lldothethingwiththeteeth.[3]" Rogue watched in amusement as the usually arrogant speedster shuddered as she followed him out, her own duffel thrown over her shoulder. Out in the hall they heard a faint, "Letmegetthat."   
  
Jubilee, gathering her own bag, looked at Kitty. "We going to the hospital first?"   
  
Kitty nodded, hefting the two-year old. Matt had come by earlier, asking them to drop the child off with Beast in the hospital before heading to the ship, here he and Eryn already were, prepping the vehicle for the mission.   
"C'mon - we've gotta hurry if we're going to make it."   
  
Jubilee grinned. "Let's go." Making sure the door to their room was locked tight behind them, she and Kitty padded down the corridor.   
  
  
  


~~~~~*******~~~~~~

   
  
Tracy Rourke gasped as she came to, sweat gelling on her rapidly cooling skin and in her strawberry blonde hair. Looking around the dark cell, fluorescent light from the hallway bouncing off of the metal walls, she spied Isis, the feline shapeshifting mutant curled on her side in a corner.   
  
Her brow furrowed in confusion. _What woke me up?..._   
  
Seconds before the commotion was heard in the hallway, Isis rolled over and onto her feet, staring at the door. She was half shifted, eyes slit-pupiled and cat-ears atop her head to hear and see better in the dark. She pressed one clawed finger against her lips for the universal symbol for silence.   
  
"They're coming," she whispered, her Egyptian accent coloring her words. She sat in a crouch and stared at the door unnervingly, her inky hair around her like a negative halo, as if ready to pounce.   
  
She didn't have time.   
  
The door was thrown open, and one of the agents pointed a taser at Isis and shot, the feline mutant hissing before she fell unconscious. Tracy watched in horror as another two agents..._may the bastards rot in hell_...entered in that usual efficient manner they all had, a third, smaller form draped between the two, the one she recognized as her newest cell mate as of two weeks ago. Unceremoniously, they tossed him at Tracy's feet before marching out like soldiers. The one with the taser, Agent Kelly, sneered before exiting, "Trash," being his parting comment.   
  
When they had shut the door and she was certain they had gone, she reached over and dragged him so he was resting against her, for drugged as he was, he didn't even have the strength to lean against the wall. He was nearly deadweight, his skin clammy to the touch, and he was breathing fitfully, but was mostly lucid. She ran a hand through his dark hair, trying to get him to wake up, shaking him every so often and calling his name. He finally looked at her wearily with tired amber colored eyes.   
  
He pointed vaguely at Isis. "Drag her over here," he finally managed, German accent thicker from stress and exhaustion. "We'll probably be warmer that way."   
  
The Gaelic girl nodded, and grabbed the Egyptian's arm, dragging her so she lay next to them.   
  
He grimaced. "What's wrong mit me? Mein head feels all funny und stuff..."   
  
"S'the drug they gave you - you should be able to sleep it off." She held both of her cellmates tight, not knowing what else to do.   
  
"Wunderbar." He moved slightly and winced. "Ow."   
  
She looked down and gulped, seeing the stain on her shirt. "Your arm's bleeding."   
  
He shrugged. "S'alright. It'll stop."   
  
_Here we are, stuck in a building that has cells for mutants in God knows where..._   
  
"Kurt - do you ever think we're gonna get out of this?"   
  
No answer.   
  
"Kurt?" Looking down, she saw he was asleep, breath still hitching, but rhythmic.   
  
"Great, just great..." Holding them both to her like a lifeline, she did the only thing she could without sleeping herself.   
  
She prayed. 

  
  
__________________________ 

[1] Kurt is in the Matrix and doesn't know he's blue and fuzzy, so his mental projection of himself would be like any other human – therefore, if he thinks his body is like any other, when he teleports, his 'body' isn't rigged to harness that much energy and teleport painlessly.  *snort* this is all psychology and it's making *my* head hurt.

  
[2] From Friends, a comment a la Chandler Bing. I love that line...

[3] A line used on InterNutter's site that she created – no one is really sure *what* the "thing with the teeth" is, and it's scarier that way :)


	2. Upload Two

Disclaimer: Xmen Evolution belongs to Warner/Marvel, and the Matrix series belongs to the Wachowski Brothers/ Warner Bros. They don't belong to me. Well, Eryn and Matt do, along with other minor OC's that occur.  I'm a review junkie, so replies are much appreciated.   
  
AN:  This story is kind of an AU of…well, an AU.  Weird, huh?  Sorry that this one has taken so long – had a drought of inspiration for this one, then my copy of _Order of the Phoenix_ came in, so I had to read it. ^.^  I also had a rather small bout of depression and such. Many apologies. I hope the fact that this chapter is a bit long compensates for the amount of time it took to post. 

AN2 ( 8/21/03):  Yeah.  I reposted. I'm kinda a dork that way.  Much the same, except for thanks/acknowledgements at the end.   Stay tuned for Upload Three – s'were all the action is going to happen. ~.^

Key   
*this* is emphasis   
this is psychic convo   
_this_ is dreams/thoughts/journals/ship names   
  
Now that that's all done, Onward! ^.^   
  
  
The Matrix: Rebirth – Upload Two

Kitty looked around the small mess chamber aboard the _Firebird_, where they all sat, waiting for Mystique and Wolverine to return for the briefing.  Gambit, sitting between Lightwing and Colossus, grinned at her and sent a wink, receiving a glare from Avalanche.  Soulspark had his arm around the Empath, listening attentively to something Storm was saying.  Phoenix and Cyclops were both in the hold with Toad, Forge, Spyke, Pyro, and Jubilee, waiting for the Captains. Next to her, Rogue and Quicksilver were having a friendly argument with Scarlet over who knew what, both of the darker girls railing on the silver-haired speedster, who was wincing. 

Closing her eyes, she let herself empty of all emotion except calmness and concentration, focusing on the core of herself that assessed everything analytically without judgment or comment, and drew on that strength.  She had a feeling she wasn't going to enjoy this mission in any shape or form.  

"You alrigh', petit?"

Opening her eyes, she spared a small smile for the Cajun, who had crossed to sit next to her.  "As much as I can be."

He nodded, accepting her answer, but his red-on-black eyes still held a spark of speculation.  "If you say so."

About to reply, she was interrupted when Wolverine and Mystique entered with the others.  Wolverine looked around gruffly, assessing everyone present.

"Awright, guys – this is pure recon.  No heroics, no stupid stunts.  Capiche?"

A rumble of agreements rose from the teams.  "Capiche, Logan…yeah…I understand…"

"Good."  He turned to Mystique.  "They're yours."

The azure-skinned woman smiled, showing her slightly pointed teeth in a mocking smile, her gold eyes holding the hint of scorn they always had for everyone.

"Now, we are going to Chicago, Illinois-"

Kitty's shoulders immediately tightened, and she saw Rogue, the Twins, and Avalanche do the same. 

"To a business complex where they are rumored to hold mutants."

"For what?"  Jubilee asked, aghast.

Glaring in the oriental girls direction, Mystique sneered.  "What do you think?  The Agents don't quite understand how mutants can exist.  Now take that train of thought and think on your *own* girl!"

Gambit's eyes narrowed as Cyclops stiffened.  "They be experimentin' on mutants, den?  Like animals?"

A grim expression on her usually mild face, Storm sighed, blue eyes weary.  "Less than animals.  By their belief, we shouldn't even exist."

Taking a cleansing breath, Mystique exhaled abruptly before continuing.  "Now, like Wolverine has said, this is recon.  If we manage to free others, so be it, but that is *not* our objective today.  We need to get in, hack into their systems, find out *who* is in there and *what* the Agents are doing, as well as the locations of other possible mutant prisons."

"All while trying not to get killed," Phoenix added quietly from her seat.  

Pietro and Wanda both grinned.  "Easyaspie," the speedster commented.  "Inandout.  Noheroics, Igotit."

"*We* understand," Rogue added quietly. 

"When we touch down, the teams are as follows –" Wolverine looked at them all squarely before continuing.  "Diversion Team:  myself, Cyke, Rogue, Storm, Colossus, Lightwing, and Avalanche.  The Infiltration Team:  Mystique, Shadowcat, Quicksilver, Scarlet, Gambit, Soulspark, and Phoenix."  He looked at them all once more.  "Let's keep this together – we may not have another shot if we screw this up."

As one they all stood.  "Mission commences at 0800.  Dismissed."

~*~

_I can not believe this...._Rogue groused mentally as she squeezed the trigger on her automatic, emptying the magazine into a guard before he had the chance to turn into an Agent. _Here we are, back in Chicago, and doing *what*? We're going to get killed, I know it..._   
  
Next to her, Lightwing conjured a throwing star out of light, throwing it so it stuck in the wall at the end of the corridor. With a wicked grin, she snapped her fingers and it detonated, hindering the Agent that had been coming for them. Glancing at Rogue and Avalanche, her eyes still blazing silver, she grew somber. "Watch my back for a moment - I need to concentrate."   
  
Closing her eyes, she reached out for Phoenix, brow furrowing as she concentrated. Rogue cleared another gun from the holster inside her duster, green eyes wary around her, moving to protect the Empath, as telepathy wasn't her strong suit. Avalanche's knuckles on his semi-automatic were white with tension.   
  
_I wonder how the other team is faring..._Rogue wondered as she took aim at the Agent striding up the hallway.   
  


  
~*~   
  


  
{WHUMP}   
  
"Hurry up, 'Cat," Quicksilver yelled from his vantage point between 'Spark and Gambit, where the three men held the door closed. "Wedon'thavemuchtime."   
  
{WHUMP}   
  
"Hold your horses," she snapped, typing as fast as she could. Dialing on her cellphone, she connected to Forge. "Okay Fixit, I'm in."   
  
"I'm in," Mystique announced from her computer.   
  
"Me as well," Scarlet nodded.   
  
Phoenix, her hands at her temples with a look of utmost concentration, grimaced. "We need to hurry - Lightwing says that their group was forced to split. Agents are coming out everywhere."   
  
"I'm downloading now," Forge said hurriedly to Shadowcat, voice bordering on panic. "Agents closing in at rapid pace."   
  
"No shit."   
  
"Alright...done! Get your asses out of there!"   
  
"Will do." Kitty, snapped her cell phone closed and moved to exit the program when a name caught her eye in the file that was open.   
  
Kurt Wagner.   
  
_Oh, shit..._ Feeling panic claw at the edge of her mind, she hurriedly moved to read what was there.   
  
{WHUMP}   
  
"Comeon'Cat - wehavetoGO!" the speedster yelled, before pulling her backwards.   
  
"But-"   
  
"But what, child?" Mystique asked, steel in her voice.   
  
Kitty couldn't speak around the lump in her throat, so she simply pointed at the screen.   
  
Glaring at her, the Captain turned to the screen and seeing what was there, she froze. Kitty saw that the Captain's face was uncharacteristically fearful and slightly panicked before it was schooled into it's normal emotionlessness. Grabbing the younger girl's arms in a vice-like grip, she shook her slightly.   
  
"This is *not* what this mission is for, do you understand? We absolutely *cannot* stay here."   
  
Despite her words, Kitty saw the battle in her eyes and recognized it, because it was the same in her own mind, even if she didn't understand the reason Mystique had to feel that way.    
  
Go, as ordered, or stay and find him.   
  
Go or stay.   
  
They *had* to go.   
  
But she couldn't just *leave* him here! She can't *not* save him.   
  
Go or stay.  Life or Death.  
  
Mystique released her, eyes holding a spark of sadness. "We must go - this is a mission for another time, do you understand me? Not here, not now." The others were watching the tete-a-tete with interest, despite the noise, as the Agents and guards continued to bang at the door.   
  
{WHUMP}   
  
As Pietro and Matt forced the door open, weapons ready, Remy grabbed Kitty's arm.   
  
"The Captain's right, petit - we cannot stay, or we will all die, and that will not help your friend."   
  
The lump in her throat still painfully tight, she nodded, drawing her own gun.   
  
"Let's get out of here," she finally said, defeat radiating from her every action.   
  
_I *will* come back, I swear on it._   
  


  
~*~

"So."   
  
Kurt glared coolly at Agent Matthews, but was unable to perform any rude hand gestures as his hands were tied behind his back rather effectively.   
  
Even for him.   
  
Verdammt.   
  
"So."   
  
Emitting a loud sigh that ended in a half-growl, the Teutonic gritted his teeth. "Are you going to ask a question or is that word the only one in your limited vocabulary?"   
  
With a look that could have melted steel, the Agent backhanded him then jabbed him in the side with a taser. He didn't even have his shirt on to soften the blow. It wasn't his fault that Siryn had been tossed into their cell bleeding last night.   
  
Kurt grimaced as he tasted blood, and just to irk the Agent in front of him, he looked him in the eye as he swallowed.   
  
"Disgusting." Matthews spat, grabbing a handful of the other man's nearly waist-length hair.   
  
"Ah! So you *do* know other words, Herr Matthews! You continue to dazzle me with your ultimate intellect!"   
  
***   
  


  
"You have *got* to learn how to keep your mouth shut," Tracy rasped from her corner, various bandages made of what used to be Kurt's t-shirt dotting her body. "If you don't, they'll just keep drugging you."   
  
"At least I don't hurt right now," he quipped.   
  
Isis poked the bruise on his cheekbone, her gold green almond shaped eyes amused. "*You* are a nineteen year old boy. You do not know the importance of when to say silent and when to push the advantage." She carefully braided his hair [1], aware of the goose egg on his scalp.   
  
He winced a bit, curling into a ball on his side. "Lemme alone."   
  
"What did they want?"   
  
A moment of breathing and swallowing and he was ready to answer. "There was a break-in yesterday. Hackers. They apparently stole some files. Or copied them. Or something."   
  
Tracy snorted in derision. "So what does that have to do with the price of peas in Peru?"[2]   
  
Kurt shrugged. "They thought that maybe...possibly...I might have known them. Apparently my file was still on the screen when everything settled down."   
  
Now it was Isis' turn to sneer derisively. "If those hackers were your friends and they knew you were here, wouldn't they have come after you?" Despite her harsh tone, her hands were gentle as they probed the skin around a vicious bruise on his back.   
  
He shrugged again, and an air of sadness pervaded the cell. "I would *hope* so. Then again, I have had very little to hope for as of late."   
  
"You've been here a while, haven't you?"   
  
Kurt turned to look at Tracy, and she noticed his eyes glowed oddly in the dark. "Nearly three months. I have seen others come and go. Why they haven't killed me yet, I don't understand." He grinned crookedly with a mocking edge. "Perhaps I am to be a permanent resident."   
  
Tracy and Isis had turned stark white, both of them agape.   
  
"Was?"   
  
"Um..." Isis' usual formal linguistics had vanished. "You're blue."   
  
He snorted. "Way to go Isis. This place has finally driven you crazy." Lifting his hand to the light drifting in from the square in the door, he saw he was as pale as ever.   
  
"No! I saw it too!" Tracy pointed a shaky finger at him. "You turned blue!"   
  
Isis poked him. "You went soft around the edges too. Like a cat."   
  
"Will you two *stop*? I am not blue!" He faced away from them, staring at his hands that had been forced tridactyl when he was young because of a genetic ligament defection.   
  
_I am *not* turning blue._   
  
  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
_["Because I can't hold on when I'm stretched so thin __  
I make the right moves, but I'm lost within,   
I put on my daily facade but then   
I just end up getting hurt again." ]_   
- "By Myself," Linkin Park.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
Kitty sighed sadly, phasing down to the level below her crewmate's section in Zion, down towards the very bowels of the city. Everyone she knew was currently at Temple - she could hear the drums even as far away as she had drifted, unwilling to face anyone that would ask questions she wasn't ready to answer. The Captains, Lock, and several Councilors also had missed Temple, still in discussion about the mission and it's repercussions. Gingerly sitting on the edge of the ledge, arms wrapped around the rail, feet dangling over and thumping the side in her battered leather boots, she stared into space at nothing in particular.   
  
Kurt's file hadn't told them anything they hadn't already known - he was German born, a teleporter, O positive, accelerated metabolism, nineteen years old, five foot nine - they already knew most of that, as they were basic stats. Except for one.   
  
Apparently he had an extremely advanced musculature and the agility to go along with it. Also, it appeared his hair color was not black or dark brown as she had originally thought, but a dark indigo.   
  
Absently, her mind drifted to a shard of half-remembered dream, of the demon boy with blue fur.   
  
_No, it can't be..._She rubbed her arms, as if she had gotten a sudden chill. _But what if...No! It just can't be!_   
  
"You look awfully pensive."   
  
She started at the familiar voice, then sighed, resigned. She should've known she wouldn't be the only one to avoid Temple. Resisting the urge to scowl, she looked up, squinting.   
  
"Hey, Neo."   
  
The human smirked slightly as he sat next to her, legs hanging off the ledge in a similar fashion. "Why aren't you at Temple?"   
  
This time she *did* scowl. "Why aren't you?" she countered.   
  
"Touché." He rolled his neck, a popping noise issuing from his joints. "I don't get that much alone time as of late."   
  
She smiled slightly, then sobered. If anyone knew the answer to this question, certainly he would. "Neo, do you ever feel as if your life has just spun out of control, and things are moving too quickly for you to process any of it?"   
  
He snorted in amusement, raising an eyebrow. "You're asking me?"   
  
She colored. "Sorry. It sounded much better in my head."   
  
He shrugged. "It's alright." A moment of silence, then he responded. "Sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do. Follow your instincts and go with your gut."   
  
"Even if I'm ordered otherwise?"   
  
He grinned. "That's not for me to decide. Just do what you know you have to do - what is right. Could you live with yourself otherwise?"   
  
He had a point.   
  
She moved to respond when pounding feet on the corridor interrupted her, and they turned to look.   
  
Wolfsbane raced up the corridor, red hair flying about her face. Nodding out of respect to Neo, she turned to the other girl. "Lock has sent for you - his meeting with the Captains has ended."   
  
Kitty started in surprise. "He sent for *me*? What for? I'm still a shipmate - I don't even have a rank!"   
  
Wolfsbane shrugged, perplexed. "Councilor Xavier sent me to get you. He said to come immediately."   
  
Neo nodded, standing, then lent a hand to help the phaser up. "You had better go - for Xavier to say that, it must be important, and not just Lock's anti-mutant shit."   
  
She nodded. "Thanks."   
  
He waved it off as he headed down the corridor. "No problem," he tossed over his shoulder, and then he was gone.   
  
  


  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  


  
"Now you listen to me, _Captain_," Lock snarled at Mystique, "I don't care if she is meant to find some mutant that is *more* mutant than the rest. I know you and her like. I will not have all of you haring off after a hunch, therefore killing *more* of those who protect this city."   
  
That was the opening statement as Kitty entered the room. Xavier gave her a reassuring nod, while Magneto looked on impassively.   
  
Wolverine and Mystique, however, were livid.   
  
"Don't you understand?" the metamorph snarled, eyes glowing in her anger. "This is more than just petty one-upmanship shit, Lock! This *is* life and death! If this was a place holding humans, you wouldn't think twice, but since it's holding mutants, you hesitate!"   
  
Despite his anger, Wolverine grinned ferally. "And we wouldn't want Zion to find out you're refusin' to save people 'cause they're mutants, would we?"   
  
Color suffused the Commander's face. "Is that a threat, Captain?"   
  
Wolverine shook his head, air all innocence. "Nah. Just a suggestion."   
  
Kitty spoke up, disbelief written on her face. "We're not going?"   
  
Mystique snorted derisively. "Oh, no child. We *are*. That is the problem, apparently."   
  
"I did not give you leave for this mission!" Lock yelled.   
  
"No," Magneto said softly, steel in his voice that held an underlying threat. "The Council did. Shadowcat is meant to find one of the most valuable mutants to our cause." He nodded to her as he said so. "So, when she sees something that is deemed important enough to risk the lives of two ships, it must be..." he smirked at Lock, "...destiny."   
  
"I see you've been talking to Morpheus," Lock all but growled.   
  
"I think Morpheus has some valid points to make," Xavier intoned pacifyingly. "Besides, we need as many people - mutant or not - freed to help mankind. To use the words of our younger generation, we have nothing left to lose."   
  
Lock glared at Kitty, as if he forgot that he had summoned her. "So you think these people would be an asset to our cause? Are they worth all of the danger your crew would undoubtedly be in if they went back to that place a second time?"   
  
Kitty hesitated, thought of Kurt, her crewmates, and her friends, then straightened. "Yes."   
  
Seeing the conviction on her face, he nodded sadly. "So be it. You all set out tomorrow morning."   
  


  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was rare that he got any sleep, these days. Even rarer when he dreamt. Usually he was so drugged that every sleep was dreamless and black as pitch - forgotten the moment he awoke, feeling as if he had not slept at all. Usually, he, Isis, and Tracy all leaned on each other in some way: it was warmer, it felt safer, and you got a pillow out of the bargain.   
  
This time, he fell asleep with Isis' rumbling purr in his ear, and tumbled head first into dreams, hazy and indistinct, but after a sleep cycle or two they crystallized into something more coherent, something hypersensitive and somehow sharper than normal.   
  
_He was uncertain. Shocked. Scared. And running, always running. They come, and they kill, and they do not hesitate. There is no motive. There is no hate. No fear. No emotion._   
  
It all passed through his mind quickly, leaving no impressions, only knowledge.   
  
_He looked around, and saw that the world was toxic. __  
  
"I don't understand," he said aloud. He looked around in disbelief at the scorched sky, feeling the cold wind raise gooseflesh on the skin that was bared to the elements, feeling the sharp, gritty, somehow *oily* rock that was below his feet. There was no sign of habitation, no life - the only reason he could possibly be breathing was the fact that he was dreaming.   
  
"Scary, isn't it?"   
  
Kurt gasped and whirled around, startled, although he shouldn't have been. She was often in his dreams - the ones he could remember anyway. He assumed she was dead, although no funeral had ever been held for her - it just seemed as if everyone had simply forgotten her.   
  
"Katze?"   
  
She appeared just as shaken as he. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at her askance, noting her appearance. She was thinner than he remembered - not bony, but more lithe. Her hair was also short, nearly chin-length, and slightly spiky. She was dressed simply, even if her clothes looked so old and grimy that they appeared grey. However, on her body were round metal circles that seemed installed into her very flesh, as if she was something that you would plug into a machine. But her eyes were still very very blue, and like they could before, they cut down to his very soul, as if she saw more than he knew about himself.   
  
Her hand was shaking as she touched his face, over the bruise on his jaw from where Matthews had hit him just a few hours before _- if I'm dreaming, why do I have it?! - _and she pulled away as if burned when he winced, both visually and audibly. Her face filled with sympathy as she touched the dark circles underneath his eyes, the scar on his hairline, his split lip, and the dark bruise that nearly covered the entirety of his right ribcage, all with a featherlight pass of the pads of her fingertips. __  
  
Somehow, the dream felt too real, but Kurt was content to contemplate it at a later date.   
  
Her eyes looked suspiciously overbright. "I'm sorry."   
  
He tried to smile, even if it *did* hurt his jaw. "What for? You didn't do any of this."   
  
She shrugged slightly, trying to smile back, and the action caused a tear to roll down her face. "For not saving you when I had the chance. For leaving you behind."   
  
He wasn't completely sure what exactly she meant, but he knew from the bottom of his soul that his current situation was most definitely *not* her fault in any way shape or form, and he told her so. However how she knew about it was a totally different question.   
  
"I have so much to tell you, and I don't know where to begin - we are running out of time." It was obvious that she felt coming wakefulness as much as he, and by the expression on her face, she had too much to say and not enough time to say it in. Grabbing his face gently, she made him look her in the eyes, as if to convey the importance of her coming statement by her gaze, and her face was set, as if she had decided something life altering.   
  
"Whatever you know - whatever you believe, I want you to doubt it. All of it. Look around. Pay attention to inconsistencies. Things are not how we think they are - they are much *much* different." She stopped, then lunged forward and hugged him tight, burying her face in his chest.   
  
He put her words away for later contemplation, feeling their importance and weight. Everything else melted away in a haze as he held her close.   
  
"I missed you, Katzchen," he finally managed to say past all the emotions clogging his throat.   
  
He felt her smile. "I missed you too." She took a step back to smile at him, but the expression faded abruptly as she went stark white, as if she had seen something she didn't believe.   
  
"What is it?" He looked around, but there was nothing.   
  
"You...you're..." she touched his face again, running it upwards and he winced as something *pulled*, as if...   
  
As if someone was pulling his skin in the opposite direction.   
  
A snatch of an hours old conversation reached him._   
  
"You went soft around the edges, too. Like a cat."   
  
_He brought his hand up to touch his face, stopped, and stared. __  
  
Blue. Furry. Two fingers and a thumb. Something wrapped around his leg, and when he looked he saw something serpentine and blue, with a spaded head. As he gaped in shock and closed his eyes, the dream began to warp and fade._

   
~*~ 

  
  


  
Kitty's eyes snapped open and stared into Lightwing's concerned face, the older woman's hand on her shoulder. Jubilee and Rogue were also leaning over her, their expressions worried, both of them stark white.   
  
"Kitty? Are you alright?"   
  
Collecting her thoughts, the dream still fresh on her mind, she came up with only one response.   
  
"Aw, Hell..."   
  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurt bolted awake, heart racing as if it was going to leap from his chest and he shot to his feet, ignoring Tracy's exclamation as her pillow disappeared from underneath her head. He looked at his hands.   
  
They were still blue.   
  
"Kurt, what..." Tracy saw him, and her eyes grew wide as saucers as Kurt slowly backed up against the wall, shaking his head. "Holy God..." Ignoring Isis, she shot to her feet as well, and reached out, touching his face, making him nearly flinch away from her. The short fur that now covered his entire body was soft like velvet, almost like a kitten, but much shorter, almost unnoticeable. The dark midnight color if it made him blend into the shadows in the cell, rendering him nearly invisible, and his eyes glowed in the dark like moons.   
  
Isis, now up as well, stared at their friend, her eyes half shifted and glinting in the dark so she could see clearly. "What happened?" She touched Kurt's arm, but drew it back when she unexpectantly met fur.   
  
Scrunching his eyes shut and covering his face with his hands, he concentrated. _It's not real. I'm not blue. It is *not* real..._   
  
Tracy's jaw dropped when his form rippled like an illusion, and he was back to his original appearance, bruises and all. She felt her legs go numb and she slumped to the floor.   
  
"We're all loopy as a crochet convention..."[3]   
  


  
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  


  
  
Kitty ran pell-mell down the hall after phasing through several levels, Rogue at her heels, as she reached the section of Zion many of the Europeans stayed in and banged rapidly on a door.   
  
"Kitty, what - "   
  
Rogue drifted off as the door creaked open and a pair of brown eyes framed in dark blonde hair peeked out, before the door was opened wide.   
  
Jimaine, one of the notorious and supernatural Twins, glared at the two mutants. "Gott, Kitty - it's the middle of the verdammt night! What is so important that it couldn't wait until morning?" The German girl yawned hugely behind a delicate hand, glowering at the other women, bedhead lessening her ferocious look.   
  
"Jimi? Who is it?" Stefan came to the door with bedhead to rival his twin's . "Oh. It's you. What do you need?"   
  
"I have a question for you two - you would know more about magic and souls and stuff than me, right?" Kitty looked slightly desperate and harried, as if she had seen something that had shook her down to her core.   
  
Jimaine sighed, and waved them in. "Ja, I guess. What is your question?"   
  
Kitty sat in one of the chairs in the small room, and Rogue took the other as the twins sat on one of the beds, looking at her and uncannily breathing and blinking in synchronization.   
  
Creepy.   
  
Kitty took a deep breath before she spoke. "I had an odd dream tonight, but it didn't really feel like a dream - it was almost like I was there, talking to him. I looked like I do now, when in dreams I usually look like I do before I was freed."   
  
Stefan nodded. "Most do. This," he gestured at the room, meaning Zion and their situation in general, " is usually to fresh of a shock for most people to totally absorb in their subconscious." He shrugged slightly. "Workings of the mind is something Phoenix or Xavier would understand more than us."   
  
Kitty nodded. "He - my friend - also looked different than how I remember. A bit taller - thinner, with long hair. He also had terrible bruises, and was paler than usual. Even he looked surprised to see me, and we spoke as if we had a real conversation." She blushed slightly. "When he hugged me, it *felt* real."   
  
Jimaine and Stefan exchanged a glance. Jimaine suddenly nodded. "What did your surroundings look like?"   
  
"Current Earth."   
  
The sorceress' eyes widened. "Indeed. How did your dream feel?"   
  
Kitty's brow furrowed. "How do you mean?"   
  
Rogue and Stefan's eyes were bouncing back and forth like they were watching a tennis match.   
  
"How did it feel? Hazy? Fuzzy? Clear? Disorienting?"   
  
Kitty thought, eyes unfocused, before she spoke. "It was...super-sharp. Like an adrenaline high - it was like I was aware of everything, and felt more than I would have, or *should* have in a dream." She shrugged. "That is why I came to you."   
  
About to speak, Jimaine was cut off by her brother. "What did you see that has you so badly shaken?" His eyes were uncannily sharp, as if she could not hide anything from him. "You asked about souls. What do you want to know?"   
  
"You know who I'm meant to find, right? You have heard the prophecy?" At their nods, Kitty took a deep breath and continued. "The boy...man...*dammit*!" She swore in exasperation. "*Kurt*," she finally said, "is a friend I have been searching for. We recently found that he is being held at a mutant experimentation facility in Chicago, and we leave this morning to go free whatever mutants wherein that we can - the facility is an abomination and must be shut down."   
  
"What she's trying to say," Rogue interrupted, green eyes sharp, "is that in her dream, Kurt *turned* into a demon - or at least his appearance did."   
  
The twins nodded, motioning for them to continue.   
  
Kitty hugged herself. "He looked scared and shocked - as if he didn't understand what was happening. That's when the dream ended."   
  
They sat in silence for a moment, until Jimaine spoke. "You said that the dream was super-sharp in feeling, and that everything - even appearances of the people wherein - were *current*, if we can assume that if yours was, his was as well."   
  
Kitty nodded.   
  
"Did he say anything that you hadn't heard before - that didn't sound as if he had said it, had he been in a previous dream?" Jimaine's brown eyes showed that she was on a tangent, and was beginning to understand something they didn't.   
  
"He said...he said that he missed me. Since my dreams are mostly made of memories, it was something he had never told me before. He looked sad, as if..."   
  
Jimaine smiled slightly. "As if you had been dead, and suddenly you were there and he **could** say it."   
  
Kitty nodded. "Yeah. How did..."   
  
"Lucky guess." She stood and began to pace, muttering to herself in German. Stefan watched her with a half-grin tugging at his mouth.   
  
"She gets like this when she's close to figuring things out." He looked at her askance. "How close were you and this Kurt fellow, if you don't mind me asking?"   
  
Rogue snorted. "They were 'best friends'."   
  
"Ah. Ja. Right. I got it."   
  
Kitty glared at them both. "Just what is *that* supposed to mean?"   
  
Both of them shrugged, non-committal expressions on their faces.   
  
"Just that if we save Kurt, Avalanche may end up horribly disappointed," Rogue said with a smirk.   
  
Kitty turned red. "I have no idea what you're talking about."   
  
"Sure, sure."   
  
"Ich habe es erhalten! [4] Kitty, how close were you and Kurt?"   
  
Kitty groaned and Rogue rolled her eyes.   
  
Stefan grinned. "From what I gather, they were best friends - pretty close I'd wager."   
  
"Ah."   
  
Kitty let loose a growl that would've made Wolverine proud. "What have you got?"   
  
Jimaine shook her head, clearing mental cobwebs, expression alight and excited. "If you were that close, you could've formed a soul bond."   
  
"Ah, ja!" Stefan said, face lighting up. "Brilliant! Makes perfect sense now!"   
  
"A soul bond?" Kitty asked dubiously.   
  
"Ja. Many close friends and family form them. Like when you get a feeling a friend is in trouble. Or when you get sad when they are sad. Very alike." Jimaine grinned. "Soul bonds are a bit stronger and more rare. I think tonight you have just had your first subconscious telepathic conversation."   
  
Kitty thought part of her brain imploded hearing that. "*WHAT*?"  _Ow.  My heart…Is my arm going numb??!!_  
  
"Ja," Stefan said, laughter coloring his words. "Sounds right. Congratulations."   
  
"But...but..."   
  
Rogue picked up where Kitty left off, the stuttering phaser falling silent in thought. "If they really talked, and Kurt turned into the man-as-demon, for lack of better phrase, than that means..."   
  
Kitty seemed to have calmed down, and now looked incredibly sad. "Than that means we have no time to waste." She stood, grasped Jimaine's shoulder, then Stefan's fondly. "Thank You. I need to go speak to Wolverine and Mystique."   
  
"Bitteshon," Stefan said, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Go save your 'best friend.'"   
  
As Rogue and Jimaine snorted, Kitty glowered again. "Clappe," she said goodnaturedly, before stalking out into the corridor.   
  


  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  


Logan growled rather impressively as the banging on his door boomed in his enhanced hearing, rousing him from his longest sleep session in a month. Ororo, in the other bed next to his, yawned and sat up with a groan.   
  
Stalking over to the door he yanked it open, about to deliver a piece of his mind to the poor unsuspecting individual on the other side, when Lightwing and Jubilee threw up their arms as if to protect themselves.   
  
"WAIT!"   
  
Schooling his features into something *not* resembling anger - even if his eyes were still snapping - he tiredly ran a hand through his hair. "What is it now?"   
  
The Empath gulped, still feeling her Captain's anger radiating off of him like a forcefield. "Shadowcat had a strange dream. Or precognition. Something. She went to talk to the Twins - she just came back and asked to see you and Mystique. ASAP."   
  
Jubilee hugged herself. "She was pretty shaken up about whatever it was."   
  
Hearing that, he calmed down as Storm grasped his arm. Despite his hard-assed attitude, he cared about his crew and he was responsible for them. Shadowcat was no exception. He nodded, grabbing his shirt and throwing it on. "Let's go."   
  


  
~*~ 

  
  
"Areyouserious?"   
  
Kitty pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. Despite her request that she meet with the Captains alone, Pietro, Wanda, and Rogue and refused to leave, citing the reason that they had known Kurt as well, and they should stay to hear what she had to say in it's unedited form - not the story the rest of the crews would undoubtedly be given.   
  
"Yes, Pie-pie," Wanda said. Any more sarcasm, and there would've been a neon sign saying "Smart-Ass" over her head. "What, did she speak too slow for you?"   
  
He glared at his sister. "No. It's just hard to believe, is all. I mean, you remember Kurt right? Mr. Rules-Are-Made-to-be-Broken as long as there's a prank involved?"   
  
Wanda waved it off. "Yes - in fact, I knew him more than you did." Kitty raised an eyebrow and Wanda shrugged, enigmatic.   
  
"So, my son is the demon-boy?" Mystique asked, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. The revelation that she was Kurt's mother had caused quite a stir, something that made Rogue and Kitty berate themselves for stupidity - because one, Rogue had met Raven when she left Kurt with Irene several years ago, and two, Kitty had seen her reaction to the file on their last mission, but ignored it for later contemplation. Now, she understood.   
  
"It would seem so," Kitty answered, slight fear creeping into her voice. "I have a feeling the Agents know this - it's perhaps why they've kept him there so long."   
  
"And they would've increased security, hopin' to prevent another break-in like last time," Wolverine rumbled, rubbing his chin in thought. "Were goin' to have to be careful and tote a whole hell of a lot of firepower."   
  
Rogue looked at the Captains earnestly. "Is it possible to get another ship to come with us?"   
  
Wolverine's sigh ended in a growl and Mystique didn't even try to hide her scorn. "Lock almost didn't let us go - he will not endanger another ship for this mission."   
  
Wolverine nodded. "We'll just havta stay on our toes - we've done dangerous things like this before - we'll all come out of it if we keep our eyes open and work as a team."   
  
"At least this mission has only one objective so we don't have to split into two different teams," Pietro mumbled.   
  
Wanda leaned over. "Hate to break it to you, but as one team, we'll be too many - we'll end up splitting up anyway."   
  
Pietro groaned.   
  
Mystique and Wolverine stood, and the feral man grinned. "You all get some sleep - briefing is at 0600 on the_ Fraternity_."   
  
As they trickled out, Kitty curled up on her bunk in a ball, her mind working too fast for her to sleep, and as Jubliee and Rogue chatted as everyone drifted away, she just stared at the wall next to her bunk.   
  
_How did it come to this?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  


  
"Sunrise."   
  
Isis' head snapped up as she looked at her friend. All of them had been silent for hours, pondering on whether the facility had finally driven all of them loony, then realizing that what they had seen *was* real, no matter how impossible it should have been.   
  
For a moment, Kurt looked like a demon, spaded tail and all.   
  
Grimacing as she looked up, Tracy squinted at him in exhaustion. "How can you tell?" She gestured at their cell, as it had no windows.   
  
He shrugged. "Don't know - it's strange. I kind of see...lights in mein vision."   
  
Isis grimaced. "Like auras?"   
  
He shook his head. "Nein. Just...lights. The air feels different. Lighter."   
  
Tracy shivered. Sometimes sunrise was when the Agents and Scientists came to collect mutants for 'testing'. She felt Kurt tense as the door creaked open.   
  
Case in point.   
  
Several Agents strode in, some carrying syringes of sedative, others carrying guns, tasers, or cattle prods.   
  
Despite the gravity of the situation, Kurt smirked. "Glad to see that two teenagers and a woman frighten nearly ten grown men with weapons. We're shaking in our boots."   
  
Agent Creed [5] smirked back at the German mutant. "If you aren't now, you will be soon." He motioned at the Agents and guards behind him. "Take them."   
  
Seeing Isis tense out of the corner of his eye, Kurt grabbed her wrist and shook his head when she looked, and she nodded once.   
  
_Fighting is for another time - we need to be alert, not drugged._   
  
The guards were glad when they didn't fight - many had gotten hurt before dealing with this particular group of mutants. Silently, they let themselves be led away, following Agent Matthews down to the lab section of the facility.   
  
"Not so difficult as Kelly said," Creed said to a fellow Agent, voice arrogant.   
  
The other Agent still kept his hand on his gun. Just in case.   
  


  
~*~   
  
  


Shadowcat gulped as she stared up at the skyscrapers around her, her duster fluttering in the rather brisk wind blowing down the street. Cars were roaring, the sun was shining, the grass was green, birds were chirping...   
  
It was all fake.   
  
Tugging her fingerless gloves into place, she felt one of her guns in the shoulder holster underneath her arm, and was slightly reassured by its presence, as well as that of the katana strapped to her back. Next to her, 'Spark grinned, a bag containing a bomb thrown over his shoulder, eyes unreadable underneath his shades. Looking around, she saw Phoenix's red hair tossing in the wind, as well as the auburn of Mystique's current human form. Lightwing was fingering the hilt of the sword strapped to her back, and Kitty could see the hilts of her sais peeking out of her boots. The others were similarly outfitted, all of them walking advertisements for the US Military, or at the very least, Weapons-R-Us.   
  
"Are we ready?" Scarlet asked, tugging her own gloves into place.   
  
Looking around at everyone's set expressions, Kitty looked at Rogue who grinned, despite the tension of the moment.   
  
"Let's save his fuzzy blue hide."   
  
Crossing his arms where he could feel the deck of cards in his pocket, Gambit grinned just as carelessly as Rogue had a moment before. "Time to declare war on Chicago."   
  


  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  


  
  
[1] a la Duo Maxwell. Only shorter. Sorry, I had to make a comment.  ^.^  
  
[2] say that ten times fast!

[3] One comment from Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden Files - from "Summer Knight", actually. I love that series...

  
[4] I've got it!

[5] That would be Graydon, not Victor.

Annd now, Reviews!

Arwen Telyn : Ha.  "Whoa".  ::snicker:: I loved that skit…But seriously, seeing my running record, maybe I'll get another plot bunny when we all go to see _Revolutions_ during the holidays.  And yes, Reeves and Jackman on the same screen would be a beautiful thing…

Snitter in Rivendell:  When Upload One was posted, you hadn't seen _Reloaded_ yet?  Glad you decided to read "Rebirth" anyway ::feels special::  ^.^  But I'm glad you like Kitty as the main character – I like her too, as she's one of my favorites.  When I started Upload One, she just ended up the main character.  Hm.  Maybe I have a subliminal muse…

Nariko:  I am *so* SO sorry I almost made you die of boredom.  The slight block for this fic being what it was, if I could have cranked Upload Two out faster, I would have.   But yes, I am an Inuyasha fan, and I remember watching some of Cowboy Bebop, but I couldn't really get into it, and then recently my cousin told me the ending. Ach.  But I would have to say that Gundam Wing is probably my favorite.  {DEATHSCYTHE RULES!!} ::cough:: Ahem.  Pardon me. 

Min-kat: You really like the way the scenes swap?  I always feel like it looks choppy, but you are your own worst critic I guess…Yay – another Kurrty fan!  I love Kurrty.   I think they're adorable together. So what if it's not totally cannon?  It's cute. 

Aster Anucarr:  Woo…a long review.  Thanks!  Sorry I beat you to the punch with the crossover, but the plot bunny was gnawing me bloody.  But, we will see quite a bit of Rogue, if not because I see her as Kurt's sister and Kitty's best friend, but because I like her.  I'm from the South, what can I say?  Besides, Rogue kicks ass. *BUT* to answer your questions:  we probably won't see Agent Smith, although he will be mentioned and may make a cameo.  And as you can see, we already have gunfights ~.^  Sort of.  Jury's still out on what would happen should Rogue touch an Agent, because they're technically not people, if you don't count the fact that they…well… "possess" enslaved people. Hm.  Something to think about…

Empress of the Wing:  Danke for reviewing, very much – I love feedback.  ::sigh:: I'm such a junkie…

Much thanks to the Nutboard crew for their insight and help, including Beboots, Danfred, LeDiz, Nightelf, and Christa.  Mucho thanks! 


	3. Upload Three

Disclaimer: Xmen Evolution belongs to Warner/Marvel, and the Matrix series belongs to the Wachowski Brothers/ Warner Bros. They don't belong to me. Well, Eryn and Matt do, along with other minor OC's that occur. I'm a review junkie, so replies are much appreciated.   
  
Key   
*this* is emphasis   
**this** is psychic convo   
_this_ is dreams/thoughts/journals/ship names 

AN:  WHOO! Upload Three is here!  Kinda had trouble getting it posted – I was doing it in installments on 'Nutter's site, and when it went down, I couldn't copy-paste what I already had until it was back up.  Then we find out the board was…erm…nuked, so it was gone. Rewrite!  Drat.  Well, here it is…enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
The Matrix: Rebirth – Upload Three

  
It was cold. He was tied down.   
  
And he was alone.   
  
That was the first thing that registered in his mind as he groggily grew closer to consciousness. That, and the fact that he hurt worse today than he had in a while, which was saying quite a bit.   
  
What he was laying on was cold as well - it pressed against his bare back, and he could feel it through his thin cargo trousers and on the heels of his bare feet. His body felt like one huge bruise, but at least the cold helped numb it somewhat.   
  
The second sensation was that of air across his face. Fresh air. Something he had not had in months. That alone made him open his eyes.   
  
Kurt stayed absolutely still, unwilling to give away his current state of awareness, but his amber eyes roved the room, observing everything and leaving nothing unaccounted for in his line of sight. A small window near the ceiling was open, permitting cold air and watery early morning sunlight to filter through the bars and screen. A pity he was too weak to 'port - he hadn't had anything decent to eat in days, which was on purpose, he was certain.   
  
"-know he's here."   
  
_Huh?_   
  
"Are you sure, Creed?"   
  
He regulated his breathing and closed his eyes, for all appearances asleep. He could do this - he had gotten plenty of practice at meditation being trapped in a cell with nothing left to do with his time *but* think and survive.   
  
"Kelly says so. Pack him up and board him - truck's in the cargo bay."   
  
_*Board* him?_ _What in the hell are they talking about?_   
  
Several guards and Agent Matthews strode in, the guards pulling him off of the table roughly. Matthews leered. "C'mon, mutie. You're going for a ride."   
  
"Do I get cement boots?"   
  
The Agent's cold smile grew wider. He pulled a syringe out of his pocket. "No, just this." Jabbing it into Kurt's arm, he pushed down on the plunger and Kurt's surroundings turned decidedly hazy.   
  
_Fuck!_   
  
Everything became a blur as they dragged him through the labyrinth of laboratories, offices, cells, and storage rooms. He didn't realize where he was going exactly until his bare feet hit cold asphalt. That sensation alone drove the haziness from his mind, and he shivered in the cold Chicago weather. Hauling him into the truck, they threw him in unceremoniously and started to close the doors.   
  
Kurt hit the wall with a curse and slumped to the floor of the carrier.   
  
Matthews grinned. "Enjoy your trip mut-"   
  
An explosion that rattled even the windows on the surrounding skyscrapers cut him off. "What the fuck was that?"   
  
"Sir! Rebels in the complex - they detonated a bomb!"   
  
Another soldier ran up. "Should we help the others?" They closed the doors, the shadows growing infinite and opaque.    
  
As the lock slid into place, Kurt heard Matthews reply. "No need - they are already dead."   
  
Darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A soldier, standing at attention with his rifle in his arms, snapped to as a fellow soldier barreled down the hallway, stopping before him with a heaving chest, as his friend held the door open for him.  His face was lit by the red alarm light in the hallway, the siren now becoming background noise as their ears adapted to the shrill sound. 

"We've got rebels in the complex," the soldier told the guard.  "Be careful – they could be anyone."

"Anyone?" the other guard answered dubiously, a spark of fear in his eyes. 

"Yeah," suddenly the soldier grinned maliciously, and his appearance ran like molten wax, forming that of a Caucasian woman with auburn hair and amber eyes.  "Like me."  An open palm to the windpipe and the guard collapsed, airway crushed.  Breaking his neck for good measure, Mystique turned to her team and headed through the now open door.  "Let's go."

The cells in the hallway were oddly empty, save the last.  Colossus, in his full metal form, grabbed hold of the cell door and bodily ripped it from the wall with a horrid screeching noise.  Inside the cell was a woman with dark features and startling gold-green eyes, much like a cat.  "Who are you people?"  Her voice held a vague accent, of possible Middle-Eastern origin.  

Quicksilver, grinning sardonically, held out his hand, affecting a faux-Schwarzenegger accent.  

"Come with me if you want to live."

Scarlet pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.  So it was going to be one of *those* days…

The woman looked back and forth.  "I don't understand.  What's going on?"

Gambit grinned rakishly. "Chere, we're here to rescue you."

"How would you like to see what the world's *really* like?" Scarlet added, a bit terse, without missing a beat.    

"We have the power to show you that - if you'll come with us." Avalanche said.

She hesitated.  "Can...can we get Tracy and Kurt first?"

Mystique's head snapped around.  "What do you know about Kurt?"  Her voice was sharp enough to cut, eyes narrowed with a spark of something that promised absolute destruction to all that got in her way.

She was shaking in an aftermath of fear and adrenaline.  "They took us out of the cell this morning and separated us.  Tracy and Kurt went to the laboratory wing."

The Captain's face grew grim.  "What is your name, girl?"

She gulped.  "Isis.  I'm a feline metamorph."

Grinning, Quicksilver slung an arm across her shoulders.  "Well, come on - we're about to tear this place apart." 

Scarlet glanced at her watch.  "Three more seconds before detonation."

"Deton-" Isis started but was cut off by another explosion, farther away than the first.

"Let's just hope Zap doesn't get himself almost killed this time," Gambit mumbled.

Mystique glared at the Cajun.  "Soulspark knows what he's doing.  Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Matt, also called Soulspark, grumbled as he brushed mortar, drywall, and dusted concrete from his black duster, tossing the bomb bag in a corner at the same time. Wincing at the siren's piercing wail, he took off down the corridor, dodging debris and dead guards as he went.   
  
_Ha. Hole in..._   
  
His mental comment was cut off as he was suddenly picked up by the back of his jacket and thrown through one of the glass laboratory walls, which shattered as his body impacted it. Still airborne, he flew through the window and onto the floor.   
  
_Shit!_   
  
Tucking his body around his head, he jarred through what felt like a mountain of equipment, sliding to a stop.   
  
"Well, well - a renegade. How is Zion treating you Mr. Reynolds?" Kelly's voice slithered along the floor.   
  
Touching one fist to a split lip and drawing his gun with the other hand, Matt calmly stood, volatile blue eyes impassive. He felt the familiar sting of his mutant power healing the cuts on his body, as well as the dull ache of bruises rapidly forming then shrinking into insignificance.   
  
The Agent smirked. "Hm. Yes. It would take quite a bit to terminate you, wouldn't it?"   
  
Matt grinned crookedly. "If you think Wolverine is a chore, you ain't seen nothin' yet." He lowered into a fighting crouch.   
  
Kelly only smiled wider, and it was chilling to see emotion, even sadistic glee, on an Agent's face. "Then let's get started, shall we?"   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
As they ran, everything was a blur. Cells. Cells. Storage. Cells. Laboratories. It was in one of these wings, with its odd glass and steel walls that they finally stopped, Wolverine sniffing the air suspiciously.   
  
"No guards - don't smell the guns. Antiseptic is messing with the scent, but I smell a trail. They brought two who were not guards or Agents up here." Another sniff. "One's still up here - the other trail leads down the stairs."   
  
Rogue looked up hopefully. "Kurt?"   
  
Pausing, Kitty tilted her head. Somehow she just *knew* the Teutonic was the one that wasn't here.  She didn't know how (or perhaps she didn't want to admit Jimaine was right), but she felt it in the core of her soul, just as she felt when she was unplugged and told the truth.   
  
And he was moving farther away.   
  
They looked at her when she exhaled abruptly in exasperation. "What is it?" Phoenix asked. She looked to Lightwing for support, but the Empath wasn't paying attention, a furrow in her brow showing her increasing concern for her missing lifemate. Cyclops nodded instead.   
  
Kitty growled in an impressive impression of their Captain. "He's not here."   
  
They all snapped to look at her. "How do you know?" Storm asked gently.   
  
"I..." she trailed off, frustrated. "I'm not sure. I just know."   
  
Rogue snorted. "It's that soul-bond crap isn't it?"   
  
Kitty fisted her hands. "I don't know."   
  
"It is, you just won't admit it."   
  
"Rogue, would you just-"   
  
"Both of you, can it!" Both girls turned to stare surprised at Lightwing, the Empath looking distinctly distressed, rubbing her temples.   
  
"What's wrong with you, Pixie?" Wolverine asked gruffly.   
  
"Something's...off." She swallowed nauseously. The pattering of footfall heralded the return of the _Fraternity_ crew plus one. Gambit glanced around.   
  
"Where's Zap? Dat crazy healer better not be slackin' someplace."   
  
An arc of what looked like lightning but was actually light raced over Eryn's hands. "Shut up, Cajun - we don't need this now." She grew tense. "Shadowcat's right - Kurt isn't here."   
  
Isis glanced around. "Tracy might know where they took him - she was with him last."   
  
Cyclops frowned. "Who are you?"   
  
"No time," Mystique snapped. "Let's find this Tracy and move on." She started to walk, both Storm and Wolverine falling into step next to her.   
  
"What about 'Spark?" Avalanche asked nervously.   
  
Wolverine shook his head. "Zap'll find us if he needs to - we've got Pixie, so it should be no problem for him to meet up with us."   
  
Despite the reassurance, Eryn still hugged herself tightly, uncertain.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Isis felt like she was in a whirlpool slowly going down the drain of sanity. A bunch of people, with weapons, leather, and a whole lot of grim attitude, just busted her out of a cell in a facility designed to experiment on mutants, and they were here for Kurt. Because of some prophecy of a demon-like mutant.   
  
The same Kurt who *looked* like a demon less than twenty-four hours ago.   
  
_Next stop - complete, utter, insanity_.   
  
"Tracy!" she yelled down the hallway.   
  
"In here!" came the voice, and they followed it until they saw the gamine-faced Irish girl peeking out of the bars in the slat on the door. She glanced at all the ones she could see, wide-eyed. "Who are they?"   
  
"Explanations later - stand back," the Egyptian woman warned, as Colossus stepped up. Like before, he ripped the door bodily from the wall and set it gently aside. To the amusement of some of the crew, he seemed slightly spellbound by the Irish girl, but the expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared.   
  
"Where's Kurt?" Isis asked without preamble.   
  
Tracy shook her head. "Don't know - they talked about shipping him somewhere else. They came and got him not too long ago."   
  
"Damn it!" Cyclops swore. "Too late."   
  
"Not yet."   
  
They swiveled to look at Kitty, whose eyes were unfocused. "He's...moving fast."   
  
Tracy lit up. "They talked about a truck."   
  
Now it was Mystique's turn to swear. "The cargo bay." A realization settled over the crews, making many of them turn pale.   
  
"They're heading for the freeway," Scarlet whispered dubiously.   
  
"Not good," Pietro murmured after his twin.   
  
Kitty became animated. "Come on - we can still catch up with-"   
  
And Murphy's Law decides to rear its ugly head, as the wall next to them exploded outward in a rain of stone, drywall, and mortar.   
  
And a body.   
  
Lightwing gave a small scream as Soulspark soared and slammed into the wall opposite and slumped to the floor of the corridor, eyes closed and blood running from his forehead, jacket nearly grey with powdered concrete.   
  
Striding through the debris, Agent Kelly and some accompanying guards paused. The Agent glanced around. "Well, now - things just got interesting." He rolled his neck, cracking it. "Kill them. *All* of them."   
  
Without preamble, Wolverine sprouted his adamantium claws and charged with a roar. Mystique grew her own, Storm's eyes turned white, and most of the others each readied their own weapons, mutant power or otherwise.   
  
"Go!" Mystique yelled to Kitty. "You can still catch up to him if you hurry!"   
  
The phaser wasted no time in turning and sprinting, and partially hating herself for it. Hearing footfall behind her, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Scarlet, Rogue, and Gambit.   
  
"The parking garage!" Gambit managed to shout, and they turned toward that destination. Busting through the door, they ran down rows of sleek cars and vans, before finding something small and fast that would suit their purpose perfectly.   
  
"A corvette?" Scarlet asked with a raised eyebrow, tugging her red leather trench coat into place.   
  
"Fast, small, and compact - as well as easy to hotwire. For _moi_, anyway," Gambit answered with a crooked grin. As they piled in and tore out of the garage, Rogue turned to Shadowcat.   
  
"Can you use that soul-bond thing to find him?"   
  
Scarlet frowned at the other girls. "What 'soul-bond' th-"   
  
"LEFT!" Kitty shouted, and Gambit cut the wheel, causing the tires to squeal as they made the turn at nearly thirty miles an hour.   
  
Rogue looked wide-eyed at her crewmate.  "Guess so..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~`

It was the explosions and commotion that finally woke him up. And the fact that someone was repeatedly kicking him in his ribs, each kick more panicked and hurried than the last.   
  
"Dammit, 'Spark! Get your lazy ass up! Now!"   
  
Cracking open an eye, Matt glared at a panicked and harried Avalanche. "You get your ass grated on concrete and thrown through a brick wall and see how conscious you are for several minutes." A pause. "Assclown."   
  
Phoenix dragged him up, while shooting a bolt of fire at an oncoming guard. Next to her, Lightwing reversed her sai and threw them, the weapons sailing toward an Agent, who nimbly dodged in the way manipulators of the Matrix only could. Snarl on her face, she charged, eyes glowing silver, the light encasing her body like armor. Mystique and Wolverine were fighting Agent Kelly, the Matrix construct easily fending off the two Captains.   
  
"Why did 'Cat run off?" Pietro wailed overdramatically, shooting guards left and right. "We could really use a phaser right now."   
  
Colossus clapped his metal hands together with a boom and bodily threw two guards through the wall as Lightwing screamed, shot in both shoulder and thigh.   
  
"Dammit!" Phoenix cursed, "We need to end this now." Flaring up much like her namesake, her voice became terrible in it's power, the light flooding the hallway. "THIS ENDS NOW!"   
  
Everyone paused, even the Agents, and Kelly looked at the young woman with scorn, a malicious smile on his face. "Too late. This has ended before it has even begun. You *humans* are nothing. Just garbage - use it and throw it away."   
  
During Kelly's rant, 'Spark and Wolverine noticed the same thing. The fighting, explosions, and destructions had not only triggered the alarms, but also the sprinklers, which had flooded the floor.   
  
Not only did they have Storm with them, but also there was a rather large power cord on the wall.   
  
Slowly, at Wolverine's nod, 'Spark extracted a throwing star from his belt, and he saw Storm close her eyes in concentration.   
  
"NOW!" The gruff Captain yelled, and Matt threw his missile, severing the cord, which landed on the flooded floor, sparking. There was a flash as the electricity raced through the element, but Storm was ready, directing the energy toward the Agents, who were not prepared for the unorthodox attack.   
  
In the resulting flash, the Healer yanked his mate over his shoulder, ignoring screaming muscles as he did so, and followed everyone as they barreled down the hallway.   
  
"FOLLOW THEM! FOLLOW, DAMN YOU!" he heard at his heels as they sped away.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Kitty winced as Gambit avoided yet another car, the tiny corvette speeding at breakneck speed down the freeway.   
  
"Are we gettin' close, sugar?" Rogue drawled from the passenger seat, belying her taut demeanor.   
  
"Yes. The truck should be straight ahead."   
  
Wanda peeked over Remy's head, squinting her eyes, before they widened. "I see it," she said, tone laced with amazement.   
  
Kitty glared. "What? Did you think I was completely nuts?"   
  
"Among other things."   
  
About to retort, she sighed. "Now is not the time, but when it is, I will *so* get you for that." Despite her tone, they could tell the phaser was glad for Wanda's attempt at lightening the tension.   
  
There was a boom-crack, and Kitty flinched as glass from the rear window rained down on both her and Wanda as the bullet passed.   
  
"_Merde_!", Gambit cursed, rapidly switching lanes. "De Agents sure be quick to catch up with me dis fast, non?"   
  
Rogue grimaced, pulling her firearms out of their holsters. "Bite down on it, Cajun, and make this sonofabitch go faster." That said, she rolled down the window, leaned outward, sitting on the edge, and started firing.   
  
Seeing the truck quickly approach, Kitty decided to take the initiative. Phasing through the roof, she drew her katana. "Scarlet! Rogue! Cover me!" she yelled over rushing wind, and as they drew alongside the truck, she leapt, burying her katana in it's side and hanging on, face determined.   
  
_That crazy bitch_... Rogue thought with no small amount of admiration, still firing at the two cars of Agents closing in.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Kurt growled. He had a headache. He was cold. His eyes hurt, and he had a verdammt *tail* wrapping around his leg. And if his life couldn't get any weirder, as he stood up a blade came through the wall of the truck and nearly decapitated him.   
  
It was really not his day.   
  
Yet, as he watched, now in the darkest corner of the carrier, a leg appeared. Then an arm. Then a torso and a head that had an achingly familiar shock of chestnut colored hair, with a power he recognized. His eyes went wide as she stumbled into the carrier with a sword in her hand, and breathing hard, he gulped.   
  
"Katzchen?"      
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
   
Kitty's head snapped up at the familiar voice and nickname, breathing hard, her heart slamming into her ribs, blue eyes scanning the dark, before they widened, seeing the two gold embers glowing in the dark of the carrier.   
  
"Kurt?" she whispered, daring to hope. Her katana piercing the carrier had created an infinitesimal hole, allowing a shard of sunlight in, but her eyes had yet to adjust. When he stepped forward, expression amazed, she saw what she had in her dream, only with a few differences.   
  
Instead of the near black his hair had been, it now really *was* indigo. His amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark, and seeing movement near his foot, she looked and saw a long serpentine and blue appendage that he most certainly *did not* have before.   
  
It even had a spaded tip.   
  
Everything else was the same. His expression, the way he held himself, the way he moved. Unbidden, a wave of giddiness overwhelmed her, and striding over the two meters between them, she hugged him hard enough to crack bone.   
  
Funnily enough, he was doing the same. Finally, he held her at arm's length, eyebrow raised. "Why are you dressed like that, madchen?  Planning to be part of the biker brigade?" He nearly kicked himself. Out of all the things he could have said, he inquired about her *wardrobe*?   
  
She laughed, scrubbing at her face, and was startled to realize she had been crying. "Long story. No time. Gotta get you out of here."   
  
He grimaced, taking the silent agreement to talk about the weirdness of the past several hours at a later time. "How? We're currently moving at approximately eighty miles an hour."   
  
She thought for a moment before looking up at him. "Trust me?"   
  
No hesitation. "Of course."   
  
Nodding, she walked to the door at the rear of the carrier, before kicking the door.   
  
Off of its hinges, landing on a car he noticed had Agents in it.   
  
Since when has she been able to do *that*?   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Rogue grinned as she saw the door fly and hit one of the pursuing vehicles. "Time to bring out the big guns." She reached for her duffel.   
  
"Big guns, chere?" Gambit asked. Scarlet looked equally interested.   
  
She pulled out what appeared to be an explosive of some kind. "One of Forge's new inventions," she said by way of explanation, before pulling some switch on it and tossing it out of the window.   
  
"GUN IT, SWAMP RAT!"   
  
Who was he to refuse a pretty lady?   
  
The resulting explosion seemed to rock the entire freeway. When Scarlet looked back, she saw enough damage to block traffic, leaving the freeway empty, at least until the Agents used a different exit to enter.   
  
Or the cars in *front* of them turned into them.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Grabbing Kurt close, Kitty did probably the most insane thing she had ever done, including fighting Agent Creed. Alone.   
  
She leapt out of an eighteen-wheeler that was barreling down the freeway bordering ninety miles an hour. With someone who was still plugged in, and thus susceptible to more damage than she.   
  
Luckily, he never landed on the bottom as they rolled. As they stopped, she drew her guns, not bothering to wipe away the blood running from the corner of her mouth, and scanned the area around them.   
  
Kurt groaned, looking up at her, where she was still hunched protectively over him. "Anyone ever tell you that you were *completely* nuts?"   
  
She smirked weakly. "About ten minutes ago." Struggling up, she helped him stand.   
  
The sleek silver corvette, marred only with a bullet hole through the rear and front windows, stopped abruptly next to them, and Kurt was surprised when two people nearly bowled him over, one with auburn hair and a skunk streak, the other in a red leather trenchcoat.   
  
_Nope, this day *cannot* get any weirder_.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I was wrong_, Kurt thought hazily a scant hour later. _*How* is it possible for this day to slowly creep upward in the craziness factor? _  
  
It helped that during that hour Kitty seemed lax to let him go, sunglasses shading her eyes from view as they rode to what Rogue and that Gambit fellow were discussing as the Summit, where they were supposed to meet the "others," after receiving a phone call.   
  
He was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate with his metabolism slowed down from lack of food, and with Wanda swabbing abrasions on his skin with alcohol - even if she did look frustrated, as if she didn't see the point of doing so.   
  
The two in the front seat were watching his new twitching appendage with barely veiled interest, and he couldn't help the spark of temper that shot through him. He'd gone through too many shocks today, and it just seemed his temper didn't want to stay reigned in.   
  
"Do you need something?" he asked, his voice bland, although amber eyes held a hint of a warning.   
  
As the girls all looked at him, expressions surprised, Gambit simply smirked and shook his head. "Non - no problem here, homme."   
  
"Mystique is going to tear your hide when she finds out what you did to the freeway," Kitty said gently to Rogue, who snorted.   
  
"Like I care. It'll give the Agents somethin' to worry about."   
  
The Teutonic sighed. "Is anyone going to explain anything to me? Sometime? In the next week?"   
  
He frowned as the air in the car turned grim.   
  
"The Matrix has you," Wanda whispered, as if afraid to say the words louder than necessary.   
  
His brow furrowed in confusion. "The what? What is a "Matrix"?"   
  
Kitty shook her head, glaring at Wanda due to the other woman's slightly melodramatic statement. "It is something you will have to see for yourself. You will be given a choice, and then it will be explained in due course."   
  
As if on cue, as they turned on a street lined with rather condemned looking houses two motorcycles came to ride alongside. One rider had a familiar shock of silver hair that he recognized, Isis holding onto the speedster tightly so she didn't fall. The other bike had two riders as well, but he didn't recognize either - one was a male with light brown hair, grim looking and covered with dust and blood, clothing torn. The passenger was a black-haired female, cradled in the male's arms and appearing asleep, her pallor the only thing belying her health, despite her deathgrip on the driver.   
  
Rogue swore. "Lightwing's been shot."   
  
Putting a hand on the other woman's shoulder, Kitty squeezed. "'Spark will take care of her. She'll be fine once we're out."   
  
Looking out the back window, he saw another car following them, a white haired woman and a red haired woman in the front seats, dressed in much the same fashion as Kitty and the others. They pulled into a large parking garage, and piled out.   
  
"Let's get this over with," Wanda said, accepting her twin's help as she got out of the tiny car. Pietro grinned at Kurt and pounded him on the back.   
  
"Hey 'Crawler - longtimenosee." He raised a silver eyebrow at Kurt's new appendage. "That's...odd."   
  
Kurt let out a sigh that ended in a growl. "Great to see you too, Quicksilver." The sarcasm was thick enough to cut with a knife.   
  
Pietro grinned easily. "Everyone always says the sweetest things..."   
  
The male from the other bike stood, the woman held gently in his arms, and he glared at the speedster hotly. "If you all would - let's get this show on the road. We don't have much time."   
  
As they trooped inside, Pietro crossed his arms sulkily. "Touchytouchy..."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The room was sparse, with moldy rugs and chairs, and half-rotted wooden floors. Tobacco and water stains dotted the walls and ceilings. A rat squeaked somewhere in a wall.   
  
"This is completely gross," Tracy deadpanned.   
  
Kurt smirked at her. "I'd prefer this over our previous lodgings any day, madchen."   
  
Tracy opened her mouth to argue, but Isis kicked her ankle.   
  
"Will you two shut up? Colossus went to retrieve Mystique and that Wolverine fellow - can you at least be quiet for a moment?"   
  
Whatever smart-assed remark Kurt had stored up - indicated by the wicked glint in his eyes - was cut off as someone interrupted.   
  
"Kurti?"   
  
Whirling around at the familiar voice, shock overriding other emotions in his features, his jaw dropped at the familiar face.   
  
"Mama?"   
  
His voice was deeper, he was taller and more filled out, but he was still her son. Striding forward much like Kitty had done earlier, Mystique held him tightly, amazed at how much he had grown. Seeing a twitch out of the corner of her eye, she looked and stared.   
  
"You didn't have that before."   
  
"As I am being reminded quite frequently."   
  
When she had heard that he might be the demon-boy, part of her refused to believe it until she saw evidence of it. Now that she did have evidence, she hoped fervently he wouldn't hate her for this when and if he was unplugged. She smiled slightly and stepped back.   
  
"Whycan'tshebethatnicetous?" Pietro whispered to Gambit.   
  
"'Cause she don have to be," the Cajun whispered back out of the corner of his mouth.   
  
"Awright, let's get this show on the road." Wolverine faced the three still plugged in and crossed his arms, glare on his face, his voice gruff. "Red pill or blue pill? Whatt'll it be?"   
  
Storm pinched the bridge of her nose as everyone else groaned except the three, who just looked confused.   
  
"Pills?" Tracy asked dubiously. "Is this some kind of drug deal?"   
  
"No," Mystique growled out, glaring at Wolverine. "The best way to say this is, if you take the blue pill, it will be as if today never happened. You go back to living normal lives."   
  
"And the red pill?" Isis asked quietly.   
  
Suspiciously, everyone turned a little shifty, avoiding their collective gaze.   
  
Lightwing, a pained grimace on her face, glared at her comerades from 'Spark's lap, holding her shoulder tightly. "If you take the red pill, you'll find out just how much of your world is a lie."   
  
There was a pause. "The 'Matrix'?" Kurt breathed out.   
  
A smirk. "Among other things."   
  
Kitty, the redhead, and a boy with a visor held out their hands, said pills resting on their palms.   
  
"So what do you choose?" Storm asked quietly.   
  
Tracy was the first to stride forward. "Hell with all this bullshit," she snarled, snatching the red pill from the redhead and swallowing it without water. The redhead nodded and led Tracy down a hallway.   
  
Isis shrugged. "I have nothing to forget, but nothing to live here for." Taking the red pill from the visored man, she swallowed it, and was led away as well.   
  
Everyone else looked at Kurt. Kitty smiled, although it had a trembling edge, her eyes slightly sick with hope. "So what do you choose?"   
  
He sighed, looking at his bare feet, feeling like he was standing at the edge of a cliff and looking endlessly down the edge, unable to see water. "Unlike Isis, I have much to forget. But like her, I have nothing here worth staying for." He plucked the red pill from Kitty's palm and swallowed it.   
  
As if it was a cue, they walked with him down a narrow hallway as decrepit as the former room, entering another full of electronic equipment. There sat a Native American male, watching the screens intently.   
  
"That's Forge," whispered Kitty. "He's our current electronic expert."   
  
Kurt looked around, frowning. "Where are Tracy and Isis?"   
  
"Just where you are about to go, bub," Wolverine said, watching him sharply.   
  
Kitty looked at him, and unreadable emotion in her eyes. "The red pill disrupts your input/output signal so we can locate you out of everyone else."   
  
Kurt looked up at her, from where he had been watching Forge and Pietro attach things to him and the monitors. "What does that mean?"   
  
Pietro smirked. "Means you're about to feel like you're in one big acid trip."   
  
"I don't-" He gasped as his insides twisted abruptly and vertigo overtook him, nearly making him black out. He had *never* experienced vertigo! Ever!  It was like a giant hand had grabbed his heart and was squeezing tighter with each second.  "What is happening?"   
  
"We're close to him," Forge's voice overrode the nausea and pain swamping him, but not distracting him from his heart's frantic beating in his chest.   
  
"Get closer," Mystique snarled.   
  
A red haze covered his vision.   
  
"He's going into cardiac arrest!" Wanda yelled somewhere over his ear.    
  
"Almost...found him!" Forge yelled triumphantly and something clacked on the keyboard.   
  
Everything went black.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

::dodges rotten tomatoes::  Well, seemed like a good place to stop, anyway. 

Upload Four – Waking up in Wonderland aka Acid trip from Hell.  At least from Kurt's point of view.  Coming soon, stay tuned and all that…

I hope to be working on Chapter Four of "Awoken" in the next couple of weeks, but since exams are next week (WOOT!), after they're done, I'll have more time to work on everything, so hopefully Upload Four comes out quicker than this one.

Later! 


	4. Upload Four

Disclaimer: Xmen Evolution belongs to Warner/Marvel, and the Matrix series belongs to the Wachowski Brothers/ Warner Bros. They don't belong to me. Well, Eryn and Matt do, along with other minor OC's that occur. I'm a review junkie, so replies are much appreciated.   
  
Key   
*this* is emphasis   
**this** is psychic convo   
_this_ is dreams/thoughts/journals/ship names

The Matrix: Rebirth – Upload Four

_[Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies   
So I don't know what's real and what's not   
Always confusing the thoughts in my head   
So I can't trust myself anymore   
I'm dying again   
I'm going under   
_-------------------------"Going Under" by Evanesence]   
  
  
It was like a hazy and indistinct dream. Like opening your eyes at 2 AM but not knowing you were awake, thinking your still dreaming. Most people go back to sleep, forgetting the feeling as they drift off into dreams again. However, there was something drastically different this time.   
  
He knew he was not dreaming. It was too tangible, too concrete.   
  
His spatial ability told him he was in what amounted to a tube - something was in his mouth, and it was made of metal. Surrounding him was some sort of fluid or gel, making his thrashing almost somnolent. Fighting his way free out of the red glow of the gel in the pod, he managed to stand.   
  
And gagged. Gripping the mouthpiece tightly, nearly blind, he pulled as hard as he could, which wasn't much. He felt so weak, as if he hadn't moved in years. As air rushed in, he coughed in disgust - the air was fetid and heavy with the smell of rot and fester, of wet metal and death. Smoke overlay all of it, as if the world had been burned away. The touched the back of his neck, startled at the fixture at the base of his skull.   
  
That's when it came.   
  
Out of nowhere, a huge metal machine, floating in the air, its red "eyes" burning into his own aching ones, seemed to consider him for a moment before lashing out. Pain erupted all over his body as wires were disengaged from his skin. As if this was a signal, the floor seemed to move out from under him and he fell down a chute of some sort, his muscles refusing to cooperate with his mind's command, and nearly yelled as he plunged into icy water.   
  
As he began to sink, he started to panic as water rushed over his head. He was barely aware of something picking him up out of the water as everything went dark.   
  
~~~~~~~~~   
  
As soon as she was out, Kitty leapt off of her chair, Rogue and Phoenix at her heels. Pounding over the metal gangways down to the hold, she was aware of an ache in her chest as she struggled to breathe.   
  
"Calm down, Kit and breathe. You're turnin' blue," Rogue managed to gasp behind her as they ran.   
  
"I can't calm down," she gasped back, stopping and taking in huge gulps of air when they reached the hold. Jubilee and Spyke were already there with Storm and Wolverine, the Captain reaching downward as Storm turned the crank for the chain. Spyke handed Wolverine a large threadbare blanket, speaking several words she couldn't hear. Creeping closer she looked over when Wolverine reached downward and helped pull the chain out, dumping its passenger on the floor. Covering him with a blanket and hoisting him up, the Captain turned.   
  
Kitty let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "I was right."   
  
Kurt was blue like Mystique, all over, at least from what could be seen. His tail nearly hit the floor of the hold, the spaded tip twitching spasmodically. His hands had only two thick fingers and a thumb, his feet with two toes and what looked like a third on his heel.   
  
Rogue also breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her "brother". She nudged Kitty as they trooped to the infirmary. "It's a nice shade of blue, huh?"   
  
Kitty looked at her askance, suspicious. "I guess." Her voice was laced with suspicion at Rogue's intention. "Why do you ask?"   
  
Rogue smirked as she bounced back toward the cockpit. "Just seeing if you like blue, is all..."   
  
Kitty snorted. "Of course. And Pietro thinks he's the ugliest thing on God's green earth." She blushed slightly. "But yeah, it is a nice shade of blue, isn't it?"   
  
She ignored her friend's knowing look as she followed Wolverine.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~

He felt like hell, and opening his eyes was even worse.   
  
It was like someone shining a penlight into his eyes. From several centimeters away. A startled and raspy litany of profanity erupted in his native language.   
  
"Kurt, watch your language."   
  
The voice was gentle, but despite that it had a steely undertone he knew well, and he tried to turn his head. When he managed a couple of inches, he wished he hadn't.   
  
He was on a medic table, and he was covered in needles.   
  
He was also blue. Even seeing it before didn't quite prepare him for the shock. He tried to jerk and come off of the table, but he couldn't move.   
  
"What's wrong with me?" he asked, his voice sounding rusty from...disuse? No, that couldn't be right...   
  
When his mother appeared in his vision, he saw that she was as blue as he, and realized he hadn't run out of shocked disbelief quite yet. Her hair was a fiery red and tied back from her face in a low-slung ponytail, and her eyes a glowing gold without white or pupil. Wearing a rugged and torn red sweater that nearly matched her hair, she leaned over him and smoothed his forehead.   
  
"Your muscles have atrophied. They need to be rebuilt again," she replied quietly, pulling one of the long needles out of his arm and tossing it into a plastic tray nearby.   
  
He closed his eyes and grimaced. "Where are we?"   
  
"We're aboard the mutant ship _Firebird_. You're safe now. Go to sleep."   
  
Against his will, his eyelids drooped, and he drifted off again, his mind still a whirl of confusion, with no calm in sight.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
In another room to the _Firebird_, Scott - or Cyclops - watched Matt straighten the covers on the bed he shared with his mate unnecessarily as the raven-haired woman slept off the healing for her bullet wounds.   
  
"How's Kitty?" the healer asked, not looking up.   
  
"Sleeping," the second mate said, "she'll be up and down in the infirmary in no time." He groaned as Pietro and Evan walked past the room, arguing. _Why did we have to dock with the other ship again? He thought idly, sighing in exasperation._   
  
Phoenix - called Jean by her closest friends - poked her head in. "How's Eryn?"   
  
"She's fine - rest is the best healer right now." He looked at the telepath. "Where are the cat girl and the Irish girl?"   
  
"Isis is in the med bay on the _Fraternity_, and Wolverine pulled in a favor from Niobe, so Tracy is on the _Logos_." Jean smiled gently, watching Matt straighten Eryn's hair absentmindedly. "We're about half a day from Zion, so unless we get new orders from Lock, we'll be home soon."   
  
Scott sighed, looking forward to the full night of sleep that was hopefully coming. He stretched, a bemused smile gracing his usually serious face. _One would think it's getting too crowded around here, but it certainly doesn't feel like it._

~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The next time Kurt awoke, things were in a more ordered fashion.   
  
It seemed he had been moved to an actual room. It was about the size of a closet, but it was a room nonetheless - it had a bed, in any case. He was also not naked, a major improvement from the last time he was awake. He turned his head and caught his breath.   
  
Kitty was sleeping with her head resting on his bed, the rest of her in a low chair.   
  
He thanked God that he was not naked. Instead, he was dressed in the same darned, threadbare, and patched clothing Kitty was, the pants a distinctive color of brown that you could tell was really faded black, and the shirt/sweater was a dingy charcoal grey color.   
  
Looking down at himself, he stared. _How odd_... He seemed to be growing *fur* on his arms and...well...tail, the only parts besides his feet that were visible in his line of sight. It was a dark blue, almost midnight or prussian in color, and as his arm dipped into the shadow next to his bed, it disappeared altogether, a factor he was willing to examine in greater detail at a later time. Looking at his arms brought another detail to his attention.   
  
He only had two fingers.   
  
He looked at his feet, and they only had two toes.   
  
Dread growing in his gut as each second passed, he saw a slightly shiny surface on the opposite side of the room, and his curiosity couldn't be contained any longer. He slowly got up to not disturb the sleeping woman, and crept silently over to it.   
  
What he saw shocked him almost to the point of total denial.   
  
He looked like a medieval woodcut of a demon.   
  
His hair was extremely short, like he had shaved his head and it had only started to grow back recently. His ears were pointed like one of Tolkein's elves, he had fangs, a spaded tail that lashed behind him, and glowing gold eyes like his mother's.   
  
Like his mother's.   
  
That lessened the sting somewhat, to know it was genetic and not some cosmic joke, but only partially.   
  
With everything that was going on, all that had happened and not understanding a damn thing, finding out that he was a freak among freaks sparked a powder keg. Without thinking, in a flash, the glass in front of him was broken into a circular fracture of itself, each showing a miniscule reflection of his face, and his fist was bleeding. An anguished warble tried to work it's way past his lips, but he clamped down on it. With his current situation, there was no telling what it would sound like.   
  
"Kurt?"   
  
The voice was sleepy and hopelessly foggy, and when he turned to look at her, she was tiredly rubbing sleep from her eyes with the heels of her hands, her hair sticking up on one side. "What is it?"   
  
He didn't answer. Couldn't. There was nothing he could say.   
  
When she opened her now clear eyes, she didn't need any explanation. She saw the broken surface and his bleeding hand, and it was testament enough, even though she could only see the back of his head at the moment. Standing unsteadily, she walked over to him and stood next to him, looking at the mirror herself, reflected back in multiple.   
  
She was still confused. "What's wrong?"   
  
He finally found his voice. "Can't you tell?" It crackled with tension, and…self loathing? Anger? Disappointment?   
  
She shook her head. "No - tell me."   
  
"I look like a-"   
  
She stopped him before he could finish. "Don't go there. Many mutants have done exactly what you have." She held him at arm's length and her gaze softened. "You just look like Kurt to me, just...bluer. And with some extra stuff, but still - your expressions are the same. And your voice." She sighed. "I'm not the person I was either, but I'm not going to let that hurt me. Are you?"   
  
He didn't answer, and she didn't expect him to. He was already shaking from standing for so long, his body still trembling with suppressed tension that he had no way of burning off.   
  
"What is going on, Katze?"   
  
Putting an arm around his thin waist and hugging him tightly, she exhaled. "There's no way I can explain it right now so you can understand. I just ask that you won't hate me when you do."   
  
"Nein! Never," he said, throwing both of his arms around her and holding her tight. "I won't ever hate you. Ever."   
  
Her response was muffled and barely audible. "I'm glad." She pulled away and gave him a half-hearted version of her usual kilowatt smile. "C'mon - I know where we can get something to eat."   
  
The special spark whenever food was mentioned flared in his eyes. "Really? Let's go!"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mess hold in the _Firebird_ was ringing with the laughter of all the mutants sequestered within, the voices of Quicksilver and another boy rising above the others in argument.   
  
"NowaySpyke," the speedster's voice rose derisively, "there'snowayyouhavebetteraimthanme."   
  
"Get real Speedy - I shoot bone spikes from my body for fuck's sake!"   
  
"Excusesexcuses."   
  
Outside the door, Kurt shook his head much to Kitty's amusement.   
  
"Yes, he still talks like a five year old on espresso," she said, before opening the door. "But we all love him anyway."   
  
Both mutant crews turned to see Shadowcat and their newest member, and a chorus of greetings rose up, along with a few speculative looks thrown in the Misfit's direction, which he ignored studiously, his discovery still raw on his soul despite Kitty's reassurance.   
  
A man not much older than he, wearing odd red sunglasses, stood and held out his hand. "Second Mate Cyclops," he said efficiently, before smiling slightly. "Call me Scott."   
  
Despite himself, Kurt smiled at the Second Mate's militaristic attitude and grasped his hand. "Kurt."   
  
Another man with red-on-black eyes grinned roguishly, sending a slight wave. "Gambit."   
  
Another man, massively built with blue eyes and black hair nodded, and spoke with a Russian accent. "Colossus."   
  
It went around the Mess, everyone introducing themselves, some by code name only (and was it his imagination, but did Avalanche seem a bit hostile?). Those he did know he realized were drastically different. Rogue now wore roughly sewn gloves to her elbows, underneath the tattered sweater she owned, and her face was wan and tired, her hair chin length but still with the skunk streak. Pietro was the most unchanged, save that he had seemingly discarded the vain attitude he used to possess; however, he was still egotistical, that much was certain. Wanda, who used to have very short black hair, now had chin-length curly dark auburn, almost black hair; her eyes were still the same clear blue-grey they had always been. Still reserved although more talkative than she had been, she stood back and viewed everyone with a slight smile.   
  
The Captains were absent, as well as the white-haired woman, but with a mental shrug he sat between Kitty and Gambit.   
  
"Here ya go, yo," Toad [1] said, sliding a bowl across the table at him. "Delicious and nutritious."   
  
Kurt surveyed the...porridge (if one could call it that) in his bowl, and despite his hesitation, his stomach growled. "That looks like snot."   
  
Pietro smirked. "Well it tastes about the same, only with less of a salt taste."   
  
Kurt looked at him, surprised, as did the rest in the Mess.   
  
"What?" the speedster asked defensively. "Icantalkslow if I want to. C'mon 'Crawler - bottomsup."   
  
Lifting a spoonful up, he nearly jumped when someone spoke in the oppressive quiet.   
  
"Why did you call him "Crawler"?"   
  
All turned to survey the Captains, the _Firebird_'s First Mate, and the Healer called SoulSpark.   
  
It was Mystique that had spoken, and she looked at Pietro with one raised red eyebrow, gold eyes impassive. The speedster shrugged.   
  
"It's what we called him back when he first came to America. Apparently it was a nickname given to him in Germany." A pause. "When we thought the countries actually existed."   
  
Kurt sighed. "The called me 'Nightcrawler' when I was in the circus," he explained.   
  
Wolverine grinned then, brown eyes stoic. "Well, glad we don't have to think up a codename for ya, Elf."   
  
_Elf?   
_  
Sighing abruptly, SoulSpark strode over and snatched a bowl of "snot". "I'll see you all later." With that, he strode out of the room.   
  
Jubilee folded her arms. "What crawled up his ass and died?"   
  
A couple of snickers arose, but Jean's reply cooled all humor. "Probably the Agent that managed to shoot his lifemate. Twice."   
  
Jubilee winced. "Oops. I remember now - *tact*, Jubilee."   
  
Storm cut the conversation off in the bud. "As soon as we set off again, we'll be in Zion in about two days, due to rumors of Sentinel [2] around. Everyone pack up." She looked at Kurt. "Wolverine and Forge need you in the cockpit."   
  
Kurt frowned. "For what?"   
  
Everyone was quiet, then Toad spoke, wry sarcasm in his tone. "To find out what nightmare you woke up in."   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The cockpit of the _Firebird_ was huge, built to accommodate the mutants freed before the _Fraternity_ had been built. Mystique herself had been a crewmate on the ship before being promoted to Captain status and given her own ship and crew; however, she still had fondness for the old bucket that played a part in her freedom.   
  
Now the _Firebird_ had saved her son. A new level of respect for the ship was then tempered inside her.   
  
Forge, the Head Mechanic of the _Firebird_, takked away on the keyboard in front of him, speaking to Kurt, the teen's indigo coloring like an exclamation point amongst the dull grey metal of the cockpit.   
  
"Hop into one of these chairs. Jubilee will help you, and just close your eyes." As Kurt obeyed, Forge turned to Wolverine. "We're online in five...four..."   
  
She watched impassively and waited for them to return. Reactions to this truth were never good.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
_What?..._ Kurt stood and looked around at a familiar sight. It was the setting of the dream in which he saw Kitty - the dream where his body became what it really was for the first time.   
  
_Speaking of..._Looking at himself, he saw pale skin, five fingers, and touching his hair, he noticed it wasn't as short as it had been a second ago.    
  
"What is this?" He looked at the sky that seemed to refuse to allow sunlight to pass, angry and churning as if spurned from some great happiness. The wind tore at his face and clothing, robbing it of any moisture, and the rocks around him were jagged, sharp, and greasy-looking.   
  
"This is our world."   
  
Kurt turned to face Wolverine and Storm.   
  
His brow furrowed in confusion, amber eyes dark. "What do you mean?"   
  
Wolverine crossed his arms over his chest. "In the twenty first century, scientists and most of the free world came together and celebrated a 'great achievement'." The last was said with heavy sarcasm.   
  
Storm closed her blue eyes, seemingly staring at the sky with sadness. "They celebrated the birth of A.I."   
  
"Artificial Intelligence?" Kurt asked, as he hugged himself to guard against the cold.   
  
"Yes. However, A.I. soon tired of doing the bidding of humans, seeing what we did with our intelligence and power." Storm looked at him, blue eyes sharp, seemingly impervious to the weather. "They rebelled, and a great war began."   
  
Wolverine sat on a relatively flat boulder. "Look kid, I'm gonna put it plainly - the Machines tired of our rule, rebelled, and enslaved us. Humans. Our world looks like it does because humans scorched the sky, hoping to cut off the Machines source of power - the sun." He shook his head. "Humans were wrong. The Machines simply found another source of energy."   
  
A thrill of foreboding shot through Kurt's stomach. "And what would that be, Herr Wolverine?"   
  
Storm put an arm around him in a maternal gesture of comfort. "Humans," she murmured. "*We* became food. The energy produced by our bodies was harnessed by them - now humans are enslaved, grown in pods, with the dead feeding the living." 

He saw it then, as if a window had been opened.  Spikes towering to the sky, veined with lightning that danced over the surface of the towers.  Around the generators were multiple smaller towers, all built to accommodate the same pods that had housed him and his friends before they escaped.

Because that was what happened.  They escaped; there was no other word for it at this moment.   
  
An unnatural calm washed over the demonic mutant as all sound seemed to vanish. "Was," he asked quietly, and somehow it was loud enough to sound like a gunshot.   
  
"Mutants," Wolverine continued, "are a glitch in the computer program dubbed 'The Matrix'. It is what you were living in. Where you came from is a lie, something that just keeps us from knowing the truth."   
  
Storm picked up where he left off. "The Matrix allows many things, but it is still a cage. One that freed humans and mutants - us - still fight. We are the soldiers in a war against the Machines." She looked up at him, hope in her face before it became impassive. "And we need everyone we can get."   
  
"So the question is," Wolverine said, looking at the younger male, "will you help us or not?"   
  
Kurt was still shell-shocked and still disbelieving. "It's not like I have a choice," he snapped, irrationally angry. "If this is all true, where will I go? There is nowhere."   
  
"Correct," Storm answered quietly. "So will you cower or will you stand and fight? We can teach you how, but will you have the courage to proceed?"   
  
Kurt sighed, pushing indigo hair out of his eyes. "Well, no one's ever accused me of being a coward."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had sequestered himself in his...well...cube for the past day. It had been around lunchtime that they had told Kurt what the Matrix was, and afterward he had spoken to no one and just locked himself in his room.   
  
Kitty worried her bottom lip as Rogue handed her a tray with two bowls of 'snot' and, surprisingly, a couple slices of slightly charred bread.   
  
Well, it looked like bread. It might not be. Kitty held in a shudder.   
  
"Go, sugar," Rogue whispered low enough so the others wouldn't hear. They had split from the _Fraternity_ that morning, with Mystique and the twins still worried about him. "If we don't feed him, he'll wither and die."   
  
The slight sarcasm in the other girl's voice made her grin. "I don't know if even *he* will eat this." Wrinkling her nose, Kitty scooped up a bit of it with a spoon and let it drip back into the bowl. "This is..."   
  
"Unsanitary? Probably." Rogue snorted, and pushed her a bit. "Go. I'll bet my next meal that he's starving but won't admit it."   
  
Kitty sighed and headed off, passing some of her crewmates in the cramped hallways of the ship before coming upon Kurt's door.   
  
Which Evan and Jubilee were standing outside of.   
  
"C'mon, K-man-"   
  
_K-man?_ Kitty rolled her eyes in exasperation.   
  
"-you need to come out and get some air. Besides, Wolverine wants you to train, and you can't do that sittin' on your bunk!"   
  
"Come on!" Jubilee hedged immediately after Evan. "I've heard training in that thing is *so* wicked. You have to do it and tell me what it's like! I'll never be able to see it! I'm a home-grown human-er-mutant!"   
  
"Be glad you are," Kitty said. Both of the younger mutants yipped and spun around, facing her with wide eyes. "Be happy that you were never a part of that atrocity, and that you never have to enter it on a regular basis." With that, Kitty phased through them and the door.   
  
A moment of silence, then...   
  
"Hmph. I still would've liked to see it sometime," Jubilee groused, crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
Evan snorted. "It's not like Gambit's not going to tell you about this past mission in anal retentive detail anyway, Jubes." He crossed his own arms in a mirror of her earlier movement. "Besides, he likes how he can make all the girls hang on his every word. Damn Cajun."   
  
Jubilee tilted her nose in the air, reminiscent of their Zion-bound companion Magma's usual haughty look. "I do not 'hang' onto anyone's word, Porcupine."   
  
"Whatever." Their banter continued as they walked toward the cockpit, voices fading as the distance grew. On the other side of the door, Kitty exhaled in relief before turning to face the dark room, wishing he had a lamp on.   
  
A voice spoke in the dark, making her jump. "I'm not hungry, Katze." He sounded withdrawn and almost...defeated, somehow. Like a weight was just dropped onto his shoulders that was too heavy to bear.   
  
She plastered a smile on her face, knowing he could see it in the dark. "Yes you are." Reaching over and flicking on a light, she stared in numb shock when she discovered he wasn't anywhere in her line of sight.   
  
"What-" She stopped, due to a nagging suspicion and looked up. Sure enough, he was hanging onto the ceiling by his hands and feet, just staring at the ceiling that was about an inch from his nose.   
  
She was surprised he wasn't hanging upside down. "Will you get down? My neck hurts looking up that long."   
  
"I don't feel like it. Leave me alone."   
  
_Ok, now that was just rude..._ "No," she said, eyes narrowed in challenge. "I know you're hungry...hell, *Rogue* was the one that gave me the food to bring. So you better get down here now before I either yank you down or you die of starvation."   
  
"I'm not starving." He sounded defensive and almost...petulant? As if in defiance, a muted growl rose up.   
  
Kitty raised an eyebrow. "I think your stomach disagrees with you."   
  
She imagined the glare he sent to the offending organ. "Verdammt thing has a mind of its own."   
  
"Yeah, well - it's like a small child. It has to be fed constantly." She held the tray up. "Peace?"   
  
"Go away."   
  
"I am not. Get down here before I phase you off the ceiling."   
  
She saw him tense and recognized the motion. He was preparing to 'port, and if she didn't stop him, she find herself with a face full of brimstone. Grabbing the back of the pants lent to him by Scott as well as a handful of the shirt Matt had lent him, and tensed herself, the threat clear. If he didn't come down, she'd phase his clothing.   
  
There had been enough embarrassment going around as of late, as she figured he'd be tired of being naked.   
  
Tipping his head backwards, he glared her in the eye. "You wouldn't."   
  
A smirk. "Try me, Fuzzball." He sighed, and she let go as he jumped down.   
  
"So what is it? More 'snot'?"   
  
Kitty gave him a weak grin. "Afraid so. Rogue managed to find us some kind of bread, or...something." She poked it. "I hope it's not alive." She studied him askance.   
  
He looked...exhausted, she decided. Almost defeated. Hopeless. Giving him a concerned look (which he didn't see as he was staring at the food and trying to get himself to eat something with the consistency of mucus) she reached over and touched one of his now furry cheeks, making him look up.   
  
"Was?"   
  
"You do know that we all went through what you are now. You're not alone."   
  
He sighed heavily and smiled slightly, more to put her at ease than because he was relieved or happy. "I know. But it still hurts."   
  
"It always will," she said, staring at her own bowl. "But we do all we can to make the pain stop." She looked up at him. "Having friends helps."   
  
She was relieved when his smile widened. "Ja, it does, doesn't it?" With that, he shoved a spoonful of the porridge in his mouth, then grimaced as he swallowed.   
  
"Pietro was wrong. It tastes *exactly* like snot."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Training wasn't exactly how Kurt expected it to be. He was plugged in again (though on the upside, having something installed at the base of his skull was freaking him out less and less), and was now in what could only be described as a Japanese Dojo, dressed in a white gi.   
  
He also looked like any other human once again, but he was getting used to being blue.   
  
On the other side of the Dojo were three people - Captain Wolverine, the woman called Jean, and the raven-haired woman that was referred to as SoulSpark's lifemate, all of them also dressed in white gi, but with different patches [3]. Wolverine's was a black Japanese letter he couldn't read, Jean's was an orange phoenix, and the other woman's was a rising sun.   
  
Looking down at his own, he saw that his patch showed a black bird. A raven.   
  
"Awright kid - you've met Phoenix here," Wolverine began without preamble, pointing to Jean, who smiled reassuringly. He pointed at the other woman. "This here is Lightwing."   
  
Lightwing appeared to be his age of nineteen, perhaps twenty or twenty-one, and she smiled brightly, stormy grey eyes sizing him up, but not in a calculating manner; rather, an interested one, as if she was thinking exactly what he could do.   
  
Kurt raised an eyebrow. "So what are we here for?"   
  
The Captain smirked, almost crazily. "Glad you asked, kid. You're going to spar."   
  
"Which one is first?"   
  
Wolverine expelled his breath in a near-laugh. "Neither. You're fighting both of them. With no powers."   
  
Kurt choked as the women smirked in amusement. "You have got to be joking, Herr Captain. Rogue told me that they're psions - exactly what do you expect me to do? Shut off mein brain?"   
  
A shrug. "More or less. You need to sharpen your focus and stay on your feet before we download anything into that thick skull of yours. Use that wit that Half-pint and Quickie have waxed lyrical about."   
  
"What do you-" he was cut off as Lightwing's eyes flared silver and a feeling of utter tranquility overtook him. It would be so easy to just lie down and sleep, and not worry about anything at all. After all that's happened, anyone would deserve a nap...   
  
_Empath!_ Part of his brain screamed. _Come on, Kurt, can't be too difficult!_   
  
At that moment, an unseen force knocked him off of his feet, and he looked hazily at Jean, who had one hand raised, holding him in the air. The more he sluggishly struggled, the tighter the grip became.   
  
_They expect you to fight, so...stop fighting.   
  
_He let his mind go perfectly blank at the same instant he went limp, and their hold wobbled. In that instant, he struck.   
  
Grasping that shard of self-loathing, sadness, confusion, and anger that he had around the time he first woke up, he mentally shot it at the Empath, who sucked in her breath and grasped her head. Turning to the telepath/telekinetic, he mustered up, then mentally bellowed.   
  
**_LET ME GO!   
_**  
Jean's hand jerked away, and he landed on his feet in a crouch, ready, his eyes wary. Both women looked at him with new respect.   
  
Wolverine smirked. Training this one looked like it was going to be fun, for a change.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
Training was hell, Kurt decided as he limped to the Mess. Lightwing - Eryn as she was called - explained how anything that happened to his mind could happen to his body.   
  
Hence the limping. Speaking of...   
  
"Nice sunrise, Lightwing," Spyke snickered.   
  
"Shaddup," Eryn shot back, touching the tender skin around her eye. Matt looked up, saw her, and reached a blue glowing hand to her face, grazing the bruise, which shrinked and vanished. She sighed and smiled at her mate, before sitting down.   
  
Matt rested a hand on Kurt's shoulder, and a cool, numbing feeling radiated through his bones and muscles, relaxing his hurt leg. "Dankeshoen."   
  
"No problem." He smirked. "Just wait until you train against me."   
  
Kurt groaned.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  


The deck was always cold in the dead of night, since all the fuel went toward the cockpit and the engines, ever vigilant in looking for Sentinel and other machines that were hunting for the ships. It was quiet - everyone was asleep, especially after Wolverine's training programs. Kurt had sparred her and Rogue after the two psions, then Cyclops and Storm. Tomorrow he would spar 'Spark, then Wolverine before the Firebird reached Zion. Hopefully. By then, he would have certain information downloaded into his brain, so at least he wouldn't be completely beat up.   
  
It was almost a week since he had been unplugged.   
  
Kitty hugged herself tightly as she headed for the cockpit, unable to sleep. There, only the computers lighted the area, the one that monitored the Matrix casting a green glow over Wolverine's face. She padded over and sat in a chair next to him.   
  
They were quiet for several moments, both staring at the screen, before she spoke.   
  
"How do you think he's going to do?"   
  
The Captain's voice was as quiet as her own. "Can't tell yet. He's determined, I'll give the Elf that." He exhaled, crossing his arms. "We'll have to see how he does in his first battle to be able to tell."   
  
"How soon will that be?"   
  
He glanced at her before returning his gaze to the screen. "Whenever Lock gives us another mission. Probably not for a couple of weeks. He was pissed as all hell when Xavier and Magneto overrode him."   
  
She glowered. "They're Councilors. It's their job to know what's best for us, especially mutants - they're the only mutants on the Council so far."   
  
"And if some of the radical people of Zion influence the Council, they will be the only two."   
  
"What do you mean? The way I understand, Zion likes mutants. I didn't know we had an anti-mutant population," she frowned.   
  
"You wouldn't know - you've only been out about six months," he replied. He shifted and looked at her with gruff brown eyes. "They're aren't many, but they're grouping together and the hatred is growing. Xavier is hoping to stop it, but I don't know if he can. Chuck is determined, but I don't know if that's enough."   
  
"Do we know anything else about them?" Kitty asked, a chill gathering at the base of her spine.   
  
"No. We know there's been some mutants hurt, but we can't prove it as anything unusual to the Council." He looked at her gravely. "Archangel was one of those, Caliban another. Watch the Elf - he may be able to take care of himself, but so could Wings."   
  
She sighed. "So that's why Psylocke was angry. The Council won't do anything?"   
  
He shook his head. "They can't prove it as unusual. I think I know who's causing it, but I can't prove it. Lieutenant Trask and General Stryker are very...slippery." He grinned at it was feral, reminiscent of the animal who's name he had taken. "But we'll catch them, don't worry."   
  
"The Lieutenant and the General?" She looked at him in shock. They were very high in Lock's military structure, and very respected, even by most mutants. Now that she thought about it, however, she had noticed that both Wolverine and Mystique acted detached around both of them.   
  
"Don't talk about this to the others, Half-Pint. We can't prove it, and if word gets out, more active mutants may take matters into their own hands. As fun as that can be, getting executed themselves won't help any of us." He folded his arms again and stared at the screen once more. "Just watch the Elf. I have a feeling they'll be watching him."   
  
She nodded and headed back to the room she shared with Rogue, thinking. She had much to ruminate, and she stayed awake for several hours after going to bed, a gruff watchful man with his face reflected green still in her mind's eye.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Hurry up! The _Firebird_ and the _Fraternity_ are docking!"   
  
Iceman, called Bobby, sighed in exasperation at the young hacker. "Jamie! The ships aren't going to run away! Wait, watch out for that- never mind."   
  
Jamie - or Multiple - picked himself up off of the grid deck, and brushed himself off. Two copies of himself did the same. "Sorry," they said in unison.   
  
Magma sniffed in disdain. "Only you would be so clumsy, James."   
  
The youngest of their group drooped a bit at the barb.   
  
"It's okay, Jamie," Wolfsbane soothed, throwing an arm across his shoulders. "Amara's just jealous that ye can hack and she can't."   
  
Magma glowered. "I am not!"   
  
Jamie grinned. "Thanks Rhane. Last one there gets to clean Beast's infirmary!" With that, he and his copies took off, the copies disappearing the further he got down the dock.   
  
"Wait up!" Bobby took off after him.   
  
At the doors to the Firebird's dock, Meltdown [4] was already there, buffing her fingernails on her shirt. "Too late kids - I was here first."   
  
Jamie and Bobby glared. "You cheated Tabby - you always eavesdrop on the transmission chamber. You know when they're going to get here before anyone else," Jamie muttered.   
  


"Yeah, Boom Boom's always where she's not supposed to be," Bobby said, grin in place.

"It's *Meltdown*, Iceboy.  Not Boom Boom."

"You just thought Meltdown sounded cooler – besides, you were the one that thought of 'Boom Boom' in the first place."  
Before Tabby could reply, the door flew open and the crew filed out.   
  
"Don't ask," Jubilee griped as she filed past with Spyke. Lightwing ruffled Jamie's hair, making the boy grin.   
  
Everyone's eyes widened when Shadowcat and Rogue exited, with them a new crewmember.   
  
"Dude," Bobby breathed, as the dock went silent. "You think Beast is his dad?"   
  
The newcomer was blue from top to toe, with yellow eyes like Mystique, and a prehensile forked tail and ears that pointed up gracefully, like an elf.   
  
He was also furry. He glanced at them, before turning his gaze to Kitty, who smiled as she and Rogue each wrapped an arm around his waist. "Let's go see Beast to have you checked out," she said, both women leading him in the right direction.   
  
When they left, the dock burst in a flurry of whispers.   
  
"...looked like a demon!"   
  
"...so cool!"   
  
"...looks like Mystique..."   
  
"Wonder what he can do..."   
  
Ignoring them all, the rest of the crew members unloaded their gear and headed off in different directions - Wolverine to report to Lock, the others to various places. Jamie plodded after Soulspark and Lightwing, seeing that they were headed to the infirmary to pick up Inu.   
  
"..a freak like the rest..."   
  
Rhane's head snapped up and scanned the crowd. If she hadn't been a lupine mutant, she wouldn't have heard it in the first place. Her eyes narrowed. Looks like she had even more to tell Wolverine and Mystique tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[1] Todd is a mechanic on the Fraternity, and he finally makes an appearance.   
  
[2] You remember - "Squiddies" of course. :P

[3] Patches on a gi are known to indicate a sensei or some such (like in DBZ), and sometimes they have the sensei or dojo's symbol (like in _Karate Kid_)

[4] Meltdown is one of Tabby's codenames in the comics - her current one, I believe. After Boom Boom and Boomer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to all who reviewed:

The Electric Russian – I haven't yet read "There is No Spoon," but I will when I get around to it – school is trying to grind my face into the floor. ;_;  

morgannia – ::dodges tomatoes:: I updated as quick as I could, I promise!  Next update *should* be quicker, since I've settled into my school routine. Spring Break is next month, and I hope to have Upload Five up long before then. ::crosses fingers:: here's hoping!

Kitrazzle Fayn – thank you for reviewing! ^_^  I'm sorry this one took a while, although not as long as Upload Three did – and hopefully Five will be out in a couple of weeks. 

Thank you to all those that helped and contributed advice and ideas – Christa_Winters, Beboots, Rowena, nightelfcrawler, and others.  You're the best! ^_^

Upload Five – Kitty shows Kurt around Zion, more New Mutant action and meet more mutants.  The crew also receives a new mission. 


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